How to Draw a Cartoon Child
Draw the outline of the face and its guidelines., Draw a U-shaped nose., Add a mouth., Draw the child's eyes., Sketch the child's neck and shoulders., Draw the child's hair., Outline your image in pen., Color the face as desired.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Draw the outline of the face and its guidelines.
Most children have a round/oval face shape, with a slightly pointed chin.
The guidelines should split the face equally into fourths.
Sketch lightly, and don't worry about getting the lines perfect on the first try. -
Step 2: Draw a U-shaped nose.
The nose should be 1/3 of the way down the bottom half of the face.
Children tend to have small noses, without much nose bridge definition, so a simple nose will do for most kids.
The child in the above illustration is a white girl, so the nose will be narrow. , The mouth should be placed approximately 2/3 of the way down.
You may choose a simple curve for a smile, or an open mouth, or whatever you feel like. , The eyes should be big and rounded, with a large iris (the colored part).
This will make the child look cute and young.
Thicken the top eyelid to draw attention to the eyes and make them appear alert.
Add raised eyebrows. , A thin neck and narrow shoulders will give the character a sense of childlike vulnerability.
You may choose to refine the face shape a little bit as you get a sense of how it will look. , Many children with straight or wavy hair wear bangs.
Children tend to have large foreheads, so be sure to add plenty of volume to the hair.
This little girl's hair is straight, but that does not mean your lines will be.
Gentle curves will give a sense of movement and make it more interesting.
Notice how the bangs curve outward like a sphere to show volume. , Take your time.
Thicken the outline where there are shadows, or where you want to draw attention.
In this image, the artist used a darker outline on the upper eyelids, the shadows on the chin, the corners of the mouth, and a few other places.
If you are drawing digitally, lower the opacity of your sketch and draw your outline on a new layer. , For a cheerful image, use bright colors and/or pastel colors.
Shade as desired and fine-tune your final image.
In this image, the artist chose to use pastel colors for everything except the bright blue eyes, making them stand out.
Don't forget to sign your name! -
Step 3: Add a mouth.
-
Step 4: Draw the child's eyes.
-
Step 5: Sketch the child's neck and shoulders.
-
Step 6: Draw the child's hair.
-
Step 7: Outline your image in pen.
-
Step 8: Color the face as desired.
Detailed Guide
Most children have a round/oval face shape, with a slightly pointed chin.
The guidelines should split the face equally into fourths.
Sketch lightly, and don't worry about getting the lines perfect on the first try.
The nose should be 1/3 of the way down the bottom half of the face.
Children tend to have small noses, without much nose bridge definition, so a simple nose will do for most kids.
The child in the above illustration is a white girl, so the nose will be narrow. , The mouth should be placed approximately 2/3 of the way down.
You may choose a simple curve for a smile, or an open mouth, or whatever you feel like. , The eyes should be big and rounded, with a large iris (the colored part).
This will make the child look cute and young.
Thicken the top eyelid to draw attention to the eyes and make them appear alert.
Add raised eyebrows. , A thin neck and narrow shoulders will give the character a sense of childlike vulnerability.
You may choose to refine the face shape a little bit as you get a sense of how it will look. , Many children with straight or wavy hair wear bangs.
Children tend to have large foreheads, so be sure to add plenty of volume to the hair.
This little girl's hair is straight, but that does not mean your lines will be.
Gentle curves will give a sense of movement and make it more interesting.
Notice how the bangs curve outward like a sphere to show volume. , Take your time.
Thicken the outline where there are shadows, or where you want to draw attention.
In this image, the artist used a darker outline on the upper eyelids, the shadows on the chin, the corners of the mouth, and a few other places.
If you are drawing digitally, lower the opacity of your sketch and draw your outline on a new layer. , For a cheerful image, use bright colors and/or pastel colors.
Shade as desired and fine-tune your final image.
In this image, the artist chose to use pastel colors for everything except the bright blue eyes, making them stand out.
Don't forget to sign your name!
About the Author
Joan Price
Writer and educator with a focus on practical practical skills knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: