How to Draw Cartoon Characters from Observation
In this template, I will demonstrate my process for drawing cartoon characters ( or anything else ) from observation .
Accuracy
start by choosing your subject .
many cartoon characters are popular.
therefore, drawing cartoon characters is alike to drawing the outlines for a portrait, you must be accurate !
1. Proportions
Depending on the digit you are drawing, normally the overall proportion is the first base thing you want to check .
To do that, use your drawing joyride ( pencil in this case ) as a measure joyride .
Use your finger to mark a spot on it, and then check for proportions .
In the model above, the stature of Snoopy ‘s pass is approximately the altitude of its torso .
Mark some points on your drawing composition, to make surely you draw it in proportion .
plan for your drawing to fit inside the paper sheet .
note :
When dealing with a symmetrical object or character, draw a vertical channel in the middle .
For parts that are at the same stature, like eyes, you can draw horizontal lines .
2. Curved Lines
many cartoon characters are a collection of different types of curves .
Curves can be body parts, muscles, or objects ( like hats ) .
First, look at the commission of each curve ( up, down, left, or right ) .
then, determine the tip of that curve ( toward the direction of the curl ) .
For Snoopy ‘s left side of the ear, you can see that the point in that direction is touching the neck .
If you do not pay attention to that, you may draw the peak of that arch at the center of the auricle, alternatively of the bottom separate .
The lapp sour for every curvature. Hold your pencil ( or pen ) vertically or horizontally, and spirit at the tip of each wind .
You can see that Snoopy ‘s belly is bulging not in the in-between, but more to the bottom .
The tap of the back is even lower, about where it meets the peg .
3. Straight Lines
again, use your drawing tool ( pencil ) as a measure device. This time for angles .
This is one of the best techniques for drawing accurately from observation .
In the future case, I measured Goku ‘s angle of eyes, and then checked if my withdraw is accurate, or I need to correct the slant .
I did the lapp for each part I wanted to draw accurately .
Instructions :
close one eye when measuring angles ( using a pencil ) .
Make indisputable to rotate the pencil left or right to find the fish .
Do NOT rotate the pencil forward or binding. The world is three-dimensional, but your newspaper is two-dimensional ( you can not measure depth ) .
With prison term ( and practice ), you will see the angles without using a pencil to measure them .
4. Continuity
When drawing, pay attention to overlapping .
Overlapping means an object that covers separate of another object .
In the following case, Speedy Gonzales ‘s steer is overlapping its hat. The lines for the hat need to have continuity for it to look lifelike and decline .
frequently, objects ( like weapons ) are partially hidden by a body depart ( hired hand in this case ) .
One means is to draw the entire object and then erase the part that is overlapped .
For straight objects, you can use a rule .
While some cartoon characters do not have overlapping parts, some will have many .
Tex Willer overlapping parts .
Drawing Process
accuracy is the most important separate of drawing !
Use the methods above to commit drawing accurately. The future 3 steps will guide you how to draw and render your darling cartoon characters .
1. Pencil Drawing
first base mistreat is drawing with a pencil .
The pencil-drawing step is the hardest. accuracy is the key for compare .
The main advantage of drawing with a pencil is the ability to erase and correct mistakes .
note :
It is significant NOT to press hard while drawing, in orderliness to prevent any scars or dents on the drawing paper .
Drawing, erasing and adjusting my sketch until it reaches the craved consequence :
here is a list of drawing materials I use .
2. Pen Drawing
The moment step is drawing with a technical foul pen .
technical foul pens ( besides fineliners ) come with different beak sizes .
A smaller beak is big for little details, while a bigger nib is better for thick shape lines .
It takes around a minute ( or less, depending on the pen brand and type of paper ) for the pen ‘s ink to dry. only then, it is dependable to lightly erase the pencil marks .
Pay attention :
Thick ink lines dry slower. Erasing pencil marks, while the ink has not dried, causes the ink to smudge .
With commit, it is possible to draw directly with a write and disregard mistreat 1 .
The result at this step is a homemade color page .
If you are unfamiliar with drawing pens, you might want to check my template for recommend draft pens .
Remember :
By pressing gently when drawing with a pencil, it is comfortable to erase the pencil marks .
3. Painting with Markers
The last mistreat is painting with markers ( or any other medium ) .
Each cartoon quality has its own unique colors .
If you want to paint accurately ( congregation to the original character ), you need to pay attention to 4 color attributes :
Read more: Microwave Scrambled Eggs
Hue – color class ( loss, green, blue, orange … ) .
Brightness Values – besides values or tone, how night or sparkle each color is .
temperature – warm and cool colors .
Red, orange and jaundiced are strong colors ( they bring to mind displace ) .
Blue, green and purple are cool colors ( they bring to mind the ocean or wet grass ) .
Each coloring material can be quick or cooler. In the following model, look at the aplomb greens ( with a amobarbital sodium touch ) and a warmly fleeceable ( with a jaundiced undertone ) .
besides, cool red ( a piece purple ) and warm red ( a morsel orange ) .
Some colors can be neutral, but in many cases, colors will be a morsel ardent or a moment cool .
It depends on the aim ‘s pigments, and on the discolor of light sources and reflections .
even a gray color can be warm ( a bit brown ) or cool ( a snatch blue ) .
In the next exercise, the gray colors parcel the same brightness value ( close your eyes partially to determine luminosity values ), but with different temperature .
Saturation – How rich and acute each color is, or how dull and grey it is .
besides in this model, the colors have the like luminosity value, but with unlike saturation .
How to pick colors :
The color on the marker ‘s soundbox or ceiling is not inevitably the color that will show on wallpaper .
It is very utilitarian to create a palette ( color chart ) for all the markers you use .
now it is easy to pick the right color .
After choosing the colors you want to use, it is fourth dimension to paint your figures .
And paint the background excessively .
Mowgli ( The Jungle Book, Disney, 1967 )
What type of composition sheets should you use ?
For painting with markers, it is good to use non-absorbent paper sheets .
When painting with a dry medium, like colored pencils or pastels, newspaper sheets for drawing and sketching are a better solution .
distillery struggling which color to choose ?
It is possible to use any image-editing program ( like Adobe Photoshop or Paint.net ), and utilize the color picker instrument to check for the accurate semblance .
Filling a large area with the chosen color will help in seeing the correct hue .
then use a marker with the lapp color :
Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke
If you are new to markers, here is my list ( and guide ) for commend markers for artists .
Examples for Inking & Coloring
gradation 1. Drawing from observation with a pencil .
Naruto :
Son Goku :
step 2. Drawing with a technical penitentiary ( inking ) on crown of the pencil lines .
then, erasing the pencil lines ( when the pen ink is dry ) .
gradation 3. Coloring with markers .
Paying attention to all color attributes ( imbue, brightness values, impregnation, and temperature ) .
Painting the Background
With markers, it is hard to reach a politic texture for a bombastic sphere, because the markers dry fast .
unlike marker brands ( and different types of paper ) produce different results .
It is a dear practice to divide an area into smaller areas by adding objects like trees .
Maestro ( Once Upon a Time )
It is better to use a paper suitable for markers, particularly when using water-based markers .
When using a newspaper for drawing & sketching, alcohol-based markers will work better than water-based markers .
How to paint the flip with markers ?
For drawing cloud, start by painting the sky ( which is dark ) ; leave empty areas for the cloud .
then, use lighter markers ( for cloud ) on top of the dark areas ( sky ), to gently create a smooth transition from dark to light ( clouds have indulgent edges ) .
For a smoother transition, like in flip color ( or brightness rate ), start with the dark values and gradually use lighter markers. Vice versa will work just vitamin a well, depending on the marker mark .
normally, as you get closer to the horizon, the flip will be easy. If you are unfamiliar with atmospheric position, visit my perspective-drawing template .
lucky Luke
Summary
With practice, you will be able to draw anything accurately .
Drawing the form accurately is extremely important for drawing in a naturalistic style .
Keep in mind :
cartoon characters have outlines ( shape ). When drawing realism, there are no visible lines .
If you want to learn how to draw in a naturalistic vogue, drawing cartoon characters from observation is a great direction to exercise your accuracy !
important :
When you create your own alone artwork, habit reference material ( images ) free of copyright .
That said, when drawing cartoon characters, you are drawing figures that are a property of their creator .
Do it as fan artwork, not to sell ( unless you have permission ) .
Where to go next ?
Read more: Microwave Scrambled Eggs
To understand depth when draw, read about the 15 methods to create the illusion of depth ( including MANY examples ) .
For learning to draw and paint on-line, check out my list for best drawing instructors on YouTube .
