Draw horizontal lines to divide up the vertical line, and keep in mind that the top horizontal line will be the top of your person’s head and the bottom line will be the bottom of your person’s feet. If you want to draw a child, divide the vertical line into fewer head lengths since children are generally shorter than adults. For example, use 3 head lengths for a toddler, or use 6 for a 10-year old.

The outline of the head should fall within the top head length section. The outlines of the person’s body and arms should start in the second head length section and extend down to the fourth section. The outlines of the legs should take up the lower 4 head length sections.

If you want to draw a person with masculine features, broaden the shoulders, chest, and waist, and also take in the hips so they’re narrower. In general, use more angular lines as you define the outline of your drawing. To draw a person with feminine features, narrow the shoulders and chest area, and broaden the hips and thighs. Use rounder, softer lines to outline your figure.

At this point, the person’s body should be finished.

When you’re shading your drawing, pretend there’s an imaginary light source shining on one side of your person. Then, make the parts of the person’s body on the opposite side darker by shading them in more since that’s where the shadows would be.

The horizontal and vertical lines in the oval will help you draw the face on your cartoon person later on.

If you want to draw a cartoon person with feminine features, make the top of the rectangle narrower and the bottom of the rectangle wider. To draw a cartoon person with masculine features, broaden the top of the rectangle and make the bottom narrower.

Use straight, angular lines if you’re drawing a masculine cartoon person and round, soft lines if you’re drawing a feminine cartoon person.

Get creative with the hairstyle you choose. Give your person a simple short hair hairstyle, or try drawing long or curly hair.

After you draw the clothes, erase anything that’s inside the outlines of the clothing pieces since those parts of your cartoon person’s body would be covered up.

After you erase all of the background lines in your drawing, you’re finished!