If you want to try your hand at drawing cartoons and comics, start by purchasing the basic tools and equipment you need for your drawing workspace. Once you’re ready to start drawing, here are some easy steps for creating an out-of-the-ordinary cartoon character.

Drawing Supplies for the Budding Cartoonist

Having the necessary drawing supplies is essential for cartooning. An arts and crafts store has a wide range of art supplies, but you don’t want to overdo it and buy too much especially — if you’re just starting out. So, when you’re setting up your drawing workspace, start with this list of basic cartooning tools and supplies:

• Paper for doodling and sketching:
  • Scratch paper
  • Typing paper
  • Note paper
• Paper for drawing finished art:
  • Vellum paper
  • Watercolor paper
  • Bristol drawing paper
• Tools to prep with:
  • Ruler
  • Eraser
  • White correction fluid
• Tools to sketch with:
  • Non-photo blue pencils
  • Charcoal pencils
  • Drawing pencils
  • Technical drafting pencils
• Tools to use for final art:
  • Pigma Micron pens
  • Winsor & Newton #2 brushes
  • Waterproof black India ink
• Adobe Photoshop

How to Draw a Fun Cartoon Character

One enjoyable and challenging part of being a cartoonist is the ability to create interesting human characters. Cartoon characters, like their human counterparts, are made of various components. Knowing how to draw different parts of a character helps you put them all together more confidently. Try your hand here at creating a mad scientist by using the following steps and figures to help:

1. Start with the head.

• Draw a medium-sized oval shape with small ears on each side.
• Lightly sketch a horizontal line across the middle of the head area.
• Lightly draw a vertical line down the middle of the head. These two lines intersect at the middle and form a centerline guide for placing the facial features.

2. Draw the face.

• In the middle of the head, lightly sketch out the nose and place a small round circle on each side of the nose for the glasses.
• Under the nose, draw a smile and curve it upward on both ends.
• From each side of the nose, draw a vertical line going down on each side of the mouth.
• Draw a small line below the mouth for the ■■■■.

3. Sketch the body.

   • From each side of the bottom of the head, draw two vertical lines going down, curving slightly outward so that the lines are wider apart at the bottom than at the top to form a bell shape.
   • Draw a horizontal line across from the bottom of the left vertical line to the right vertical line. Doing so forms a complete bell shape.
   • Draw a horizontal line across the middle of the torso and a vertical line down the middle. These two lines intersect at the middle and form a guide for placing clothing and creating a center for the character.
   • Under the head, draw a V-shape for the jacket lapels. Draw a bow tie directly under the ■■■■.

4. Add the arms.

   • On the character’s right side, draw vertical lines going down the side of the torso for the arm.

   • At the end of the arm, draw in the hand and draw a large square shape under the arm for the paperwork the character is holding.
     

5. Place the legs.

   • Under the torso area, draw four vertical lines going down about 1/4 the length of the torso. Each pair of lines forms one of the legs.

6. Add shoes.

   • For the character’s right shoe, draw a diamond shape that points downward.
   • For the left shoe draw a small, elongated oval shape that points outward to your right.

7. Add some accessories.

   • On the torso, fill in the area for the outer lapels. Draw a vertical line from the bottom of the lapels to form the middle of the lab coat.
   • Sketch in the glass beaker in the character’s left hand.
   • Add the small buttons and pockets.
     

8. When you’re finished, ink your character for his final, complete look.