Find one of your favorite poses of Spiderman, Bugs Bunny, the Joker or any of the hundreds of awesome cartoon characters out there, and choose one of the methods below to try your hand at drawing one. Go slowly and have patience. In no time at all, you'll have a book full of your drawings.
Instructions
"Eyeball" Method
1. Choose the character you want to draw. Place a comic book or colored print of the character on the work area at your left.
2. Place your drawing pad or sheet of paper directly in front of you on the work surface. Keep "eyeballing" or glancing at the character and lightly sketch the outline of its shape with a soft, dull pencil lead.
3. Sketch in the outline of clothing and shoes if the character wears them.
4. Choose a second pencil with a sharper lead and begin to fill in more detailed lines in the face and clothing. Sketch in the eyes, nose and mouth. Be sure to keep glancing at the picture at your side to make sure you are keeping things in proportion.
5. Continue filling in with the dull pencil and shade in areas for dimension. Hold the pencil and rub sideways for shadowing.
6. Lightly color in with colored pencils if desired. When you are comfortable with your drawing, repeat it using the colored pencils and a black pencil for the outline.
Trace Method
7. Place a cartoon character print on to the surface of a light box or use a window to trace the outline of the character. Tape the character print to a window during daylight hours. Place a piece of drawing paper over the cartoon character print.
8. Hold drawing paper in place and use a pencil to trace around the entire outline of the character and its clothing.
9. Remove papers from light box or window and sit at a drawing work space. Use a dull pencil to fill in shadows and define details on the drawing.
10. Add details to eyes and facial features with a sharpened pencil.
11. After you practice the trace method a few times you will be able to use the eyeball or grid method quite easily.
Grid Method
12. Take a pencil and ruler and mark a grid over your cartoon character print. A grid can and should be 9 to 12 equal squares drawn over the picture.
13. Take a ruler and create a light grid with a dull pencil directly on to your drawing paper.
14. Look at square one and draw the outline of the portion of your character that is in the first square on the cartoon print.
15. Continue drawing the character outline in each square section of your drawing paper grid that coincides with the cartoon print.
16. Erase the grid lines on your drawing paper with an art eraser.
17.Use a sharpened pencil to draw in fine features of the cartoon character and a dull pencil to sketch in shadows or softer lines.
