Learn How To Draw People, Simply

Learning how to draw people can be lots of fun as well as being frustrating when you can't seem to get it right. It does take quite a bit of practice and dedication if you want to get a pretty good likeness. It is best to start out by drawing simple cartoons...head shapes, features and exaggerate these a little to obtain a likeness.

If you follow these step-by-step tutorial guidelines you will become quite proficient and be a master-cartooner in no time. Learn the basics first and then develop your own style. Of course anything is easy to do once you've mastered the basics and this is no different - and the basics of cartooning people is really easy.

You have probably "doodled" for hours while chatting on the phone. You can turn these doodles into creative cartoons of your friends and family...it is a way to give them pleasure just by giving them a greetings card or birthday card.

Step One
Draw an oval shape about the size of your hand, do this step rapidly because you do not want to fiddle with it - it has to be 'loose' which will give it a nice flow. Practice a few times on any scrap paper. The shape can be a flattened oval or an elongated one.

Step Two
Also draw a nose similar to this one. This can be any shape or size so be creative with it. Plunk it in the middle if you like or to one side of the oval shape.

Step Three
Place two black dots for the eyes and then draw a line under his nose almost going the full width of his face. You can draw this smiling with an upward curve or downward to make him look miserable.

Step Four
Draw in his eyebrows slightly above the eyes. These lines can be straight or curved, thick or thin - or just a squiggly line.

Step Five
Give him a couple of ears about halfway up and level with his nose and a short line underneath his smiling lips. This second line indicates the thickness of his lips.

Step Six
The final approach. Place a thick line on top of his head to give him a bit of hair. Put two triangles just under his chin to indicate he is wearing a shirt and, if you like, give him a tie. He looks a smart fellow!

These basic drawing skills will be available shortly in video and DVD where you will be able to see exactly—in slow motion—how to draw people, in an easy step-by-step way.