Overview
Lessons
Reviews
Instructor
Sale Ends Today!  75% off our annual membership. Get skills that fulfill.  
Sign in
Preview course

How to Draw a Cartoon Character

with Maria Lia Malandrino
4.7 (195)
See how Maria, an illustrator and story artist, breaks down in easy steps, the process of drawing a "cartoony" portrait starting from a reference picture.
English, Spanish English, Spanish, 1 more French [Auto]
1+
hours
6
lessons
Intermediate
level
Maria Lia Malandrino

Your Instructor

Maria Lia Malandrino is an illustrator & visual development artist from Turin, Italy. Since 2017 she has been working for such brands as Disney and Oxford University.

All Courses
Get access to this course and 45+ more
$59 / year
$235 / year
left at this price!Save 75%
+
Gift an annual membership (Free)
Get Started
  • Cancel Anytime
  • 30-Day Money-back Guarantee

Only this course
$14.99 USD
Get Single Course
  • 30-Day Money-back Guarantee
Explore the course
1+
hours
6
lessons
Intermediate
level
English, Spanish
English, Spanish , 1 more
Subtitles
  • French [Auto]

What you’ll learn

  • Learn to draw a cartoon character from start to finish
  • Learn how to get references to fuel your creativity
  • Learn to easily convert realistic shapes & proportions into "cartoony" ones
  • Plan ahead your colour palette & experiment with layers & brushes
  • How to achieve the effect of a line art free artwork
  • How to use line art & multiply blending in Photoshop CC to blend a cartoon line art into the artwork
  • Add the final touches & imperfections that make a cartoon character look more real
  • Use lighting & shading to make your artwork pop out of the page (or the screen)!
+ See more

Description

Have you ever dreamed of drawing amazing cartoon characters? In this course the talented artist and illustrator Maria Malandrino will go through the process of drawing a cartoon portrait starting from a reference picture. She will guide you through the entire workflow, covering all stages of the creative process: sketching, colouring, shading and refining your artwork.

You will see Maria using her favourite app Procreate, and an iPad but all you need for this tutorial is a digital drawing software (like Photoshop or any other suitable alternative that you like) and a graphic tablet to be able to follow her through the colouring process.

Maria’s tips and tricks will help you develop and improve your own drawing style and you will be amazed at the final result!

At the end of this course you will have created a beautiful cartoon character of your choice!

+ See more

This course includes

  • 1+ Hours of on-demand videos
  • 5 Work-in-progress images (JPG)
  • 5 Downloadable resources in total
  • Certificate of Completion
+ See more

Used in course

+ See more

What you'll need

  • Digital drawing software such as Procreate or similar (see examplesAffinity Photo, ArtRage, Artweaver, Astropad, Clip Studio Paint, Corel Painter, Krita, Inkscape, IbisPaint, GIMP, Rebelle 4, Photoshop, Paintstorm Studio, Procreate, MediBang Paint, SketchPad, SketchBook, TwistedBrush, Vectr...)
  • Some drawing experience recommended
+ See more

Lesson Plan

with Maria Lia Malandrino
Expand all sections
01

Introduction

01:04

Start your Subscription to continue watching
Start your subscription to get access to this class and 45+ more on 21 Draw
Get Started

Meet Maria Malandrino, a talented Italian illustrator and animator, who will show you how to draw a cartoon character from start to finish!

Using her iPad and the Procreate app, Maria will give you great tips on how to get references and approach the stages of sketching, colouring and final rendering!

02

Rough Sketch

09:03

Start your Subscription to continue watching
Start your subscription to get access to this class and 45+ more on 21 Draw
Get Started

In Lesson 2 you will understand the importance of drawing inspiration from different sources in order to feed your imagination and creativity and to give your figures realistic posing and anatomy.

Maria will show you how to create a canvas, draw a mannequin and use sketching to convert realistic shapes and proportions into “cartoony” ones, without losing real anatomy details.

03

Clean-up

10:31

Start your Subscription to continue watching
Start your subscription to get access to this class and 45+ more on 21 Draw
Get Started

See how drawing exercises can help you improve your hand-eye coordination and retain the freshness of the sketch in the clean drawing!

Drawing hairstyles, jewellery, clothes and shoes can be challenging, as you need to convey tridimensionality, realistic visual strength and add details that flesh your character out.

04

Colour

20:08

Start your Subscription to continue watching
Start your subscription to get access to this class and 45+ more on 21 Draw
Get Started

Before moving to the colouring stage you first need to create your own palette! In this lesson Maria will show you how to work more efficiently using a restricted number of colours. She will then teach you how to pick the right colour scheme to obtain the desired effects, and will explore a colouring technique that makes it easier to add tone variations, additional details, dynamic elements and special effects.

05

Shading & Lighting

13:42

Start your Subscription to continue watching
Start your subscription to get access to this class and 45+ more on 21 Draw
Get Started

Did you know that shading and lighting is very much about refining and erasing rather than painting?

In this lesson you will learn to create the illusion of shade using the available settings of your design software!

Maria will share her tips about adding shadows according to the source of light on your canvas, adding reflected light effects and experimenting with various lighting settings until you are happy with the overall result. 

06

Wrap-up

05:31

Start your Subscription to continue watching
Start your subscription to get access to this class and 45+ more on 21 Draw
Get Started

This is a time-lapse of the full illustration process, in which Maria recaps her take-home messages and adds some useful tips and final considerations.

   5 work-in-process Images (JPG) included

   1 final image (PNG) included

Student Feedback

195 customer reviews & ratings

4.7

Course rating

Log in to leave a review or rating.
5 star
81 %
4 star
14 %
3 star
5 %
2 star
2 %
1 star
0 %
Best Suited for
Intermediate
The level is determined by a majority opinion of students who have reviewed this class. The teacher's recommendation is shown until at least 5 student responses are collected.

(Based on 195 reviews)

Most Liked
Clarity of Instruction 116
Great step-by-step process 115
Helpful Examples 100
Showing 10 reviews of
195
reviews & ratings
VT
Vicky T.

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed Maria's masterclass, a great 101 using Procreate on iPad. It's been awhile since I created something from scratch, and I was able to design and finish a cartoon character. I've always wanted to get better at inking and digital painting. Great pro-tips and good quality videos helps a
+ Show more
lot. Thanks for kickstarting my drawing again and making me feel confident that I can draw.
7 people found this helpful
K
Kristen

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
This was such a fun and inspiring tutorial. I learned some really valuable tips about workflow in Procreate and illustration in general. Maria's lessons are very easy to follow and well produced. Thanks!
2 people found this helpful
ES
Eric S.

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
I’ve drawn cartoons for a very long time, so I wasn’t sure what I’d get out of the course, but I plunged in anyway. So glad I did! I picked up several new tricks in Procreate, a whole new coloring style, and an easier way to render light and shadow, all in about an hour. The lesson is broken into ti
+ Show more
tled chapters for an easier way of finding what you want to watch again.
2 people found this helpful
DY
Dareth Y.

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
I absolutely love this course!
3 people found this helpful
ML
Mike L.

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
This class helped just as much with drawing tips as much as software tips
1 person found this helpful
B
Bertalan

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
I love this one. Very clear, understandable, practical and useful.
1 person found this helpful
HH
Hana H.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
Amazing Overview on character design with a beautiful example through out the course
I recommend it for Intermediate
B
Barbara

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
It was such an inspiring course. I love the part on shading/lighting. I haven't previously seen these tips explained. Thanks!
CM
Chris M.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I really like her courses and her ability to explain. I'm learning both drawing and english eh eh. She's clear and easy to follow, brava!
I recommend it for Intermediate
C
Courtney

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
Maria does a great job of explaining her process start to finish. Very easy to follow and directly translatable to multiple subjects.
See more reviews

About the Instructor

Maria Lia Malandrino
Character Designer, Story Designer & Illustrator 6 courses

Maria is an illustrator and story artist from Turin, Italy. She has a BA degree in Magazine Publishing from the University of the Arts London, has studied Traditional Animation at the International School of Comics in Turin and attended a masterclass in Storyboarding at the online school CGMA.


Follow Maria on

Full bio

Bonus Offer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 21 Draw?

21 Draw is an online learning community where students of all skill levels can learn how to be a better artist. Our contributing artists and instructors are the best in the world.

Our streaming platform on staging.21-draw.com makes it possible for anyone to watch hundreds of video lessons by industry legends who have worked for Disney, Marvel, DC, Dreamworks, Pixar & more. A membership gives full access to our streaming platform.

On books.21-draw.com you can buy our popular learn-to-draw ebooks and physical books, separate from the courses, and they too are also delivered to you by the heavyweights of the art industry.

133 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

What is included in the membership?

Membership includes unlimited access to all 45+ courses taught by the world’s best artists PLUS new courses as they are released.

Each class includes 10-20 video lessons that are 7 minutes long on average. Most classes include exercise sheets, assignments, and layered PSD or PNG files.

Some classes include the ability to chat with the instructor in a public forum, e.g. if you want feedback on your artwork.

166 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

Do I receive a certificate after I complete a course?

Yes! When you complete a 21 Draw course, you will receive a certificate of completion, which you can download and share with your friends, relatives, co-workers, and potential employers!

131 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

Are these online or offline courses?

21 Draw courses are on-demand (pre-recorded) video tutorials that you can watch online with any digital devices anytime and for an unlimited number of times! This means you can easily watch (and rewatch) them at your own pace and convenience.

390 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

Can a beginner follow along?

We have classes for all levels, even for those with zero drawing experience. In general, artists at all levels can benefit from these courses—whether beginner, intermediate or advanced.

269 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

Do the courses teach digital or traditional art?

Many lessons in our courses apply to both digital and traditional art. In a few tutorials, digital drawing software, e.g. Photoshop or Procreate for iPad is required. However, for the majority of lessons it is more about the underlying concepts and all that is needed is a pen and paper.

243 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

Can I download the course videos?

You can download the course resources (exercise sheets, assignments, PSD files, etc.) from the site, but you cannot download the video lessons to your computer.

248 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

How much does a membership cost?

Normally it costs $235/year. However, there is a special sale running now for a limited time: Save 75%! This means you can get an annual membership for just $59 USD/year.

If you purchase the annual membership at a discounted price, it will remain at that price for each consecutive year, so long as your membership is not cancelled.

444 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

How does the 30-day guarantee work?

If for any reason at all you are unhappy with our courses or feel it isn’t what you are looking for—then just fill out this form or email us at support@21-draw.com. We’ll be more than happy to give you a full refund within 30 days of your first purchase. No questions asked. Just a guarantee you can trust.

211 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

How do I cancel my membership?

You can easily cancel your membership renewal on your My Account page. Follow the prompts to cancel (Billing > Change Plan > Cancel Membership) and your membership will immediately be terminated. Please note: Refunds ONLY possible within 30 days after the date of purchase.

If you have more questions, please check out our Knowledge base or write to us here. We’re happy to assist in any way we can!

179 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

More from 21 Draw

About 21 Draw

21 Draw offers online courses and books on how to be a better artist for students of all skill levels. Our contributing artists and instructors are the best in the world.
Explore Courses & Books
Preview course
Watch the trailer
Access to all courses
Get access to this course and 45+ more
$59 / year
$235/ year
left at this price!Save 75%
+
Gift an annual membership (Free)
Get Started
(including this course)
OR
$14.99 USD $29.99 Single Course
Lifetime access
No commitments
Cancel Anytime
30-Day Money-back Guarantee
Still not sure?
Check out our FAQ
Start your Subscription to continue watching
Start your subscription to get access to this class and 45+ more on 21 Draw
Get Started
Maria Lia Malandrino How to Draw a Cartoon Character
Get all-access
Save 75% on annual membership + Give one for FREE. Get started