Free Guide to Draw Fun Cartoon Characters and Dynamic Poses

Learn how to illustrate appealing, funny, and distinguishable cartoon characters with this quick beginner's guide

A strong character lineup can make or break a show's popularity. With this in mind, cartoon artist Butch Hartman (@butchhartman4) seeks to create a wholesome, fun entertainment experience through simple but striking character design. He has worked with studios like Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon and has been nominated for several Emmy Awards for his work on iconic shows like The Fairly Odd Parents.

In his Domestika course, Butch teaches how to design professional-quality and straightforward cartoon characters. And, in the free guide below, he shares some top drawing tips and advice from his course, exclusively for the Domestika community.

In the guide below, you’ll find Butch's advice for creating strong and dynamic poses and adding exaggerated features to your characters. As he explains, "Adding life to your characters is very important in the cartoon world as this makes the difference between a good cartoon and one not so appealing."

"When talking about a great cartoon character," Butch continues, "you want to make your character as appealing as possible." Drawing bigger features and over-the-top dynamic poses adds to the comedy effect. Exaggerating characteristics can be playful, adding to a character's personality, and upping their likability factor. As Butch puts it, "you want to push the design more"—and challenge yourself!

After clicking on the button below, you will find a file in .pdf format in the Downloads folder on your computer containing the Free Guide to Drawing Dynamic Cartoon Characters, by Butch Harman.

If you are interested in learning more about this content, you can sign up for Butch Hartman’s course Cartoon Characters and Their Universe: Create Another World. Through the course, you’ll learn to build your own cartoon narrative filled with endearing characters using a combination of analog and digital tools.

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