Saturday, January 8, 2011

How to Draw a Cartoon Locomotive

From vintage cartoons to historical children’s books, the cartoon locomotive has been reproduced thousands upon thousands of times. If you want to learn how to draw a cartoon locomotive and add your drawing to the bunch, we can show you how!

To draw a cartoon locomotive, examine the illustration of the cartoon locomotive before proceeding to step 1.
Learn how to draw this cartoon locomotive.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above cartoon locomotive. You can draw this cartoon locomotive freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

To draw a cartoon locomotive, start by drawing the cylinders.

Step 1: Use an oval and a squarish U-shape to form a cylinder on its side. Place another cylinder behind it by first sketching an upside-down U-shape. Attach a large, curved V-shape lying on its side.

When drawing a cartoon locomotive, draw the wheels and form the “cowcatcher” and smokestack.

Step 2: Put a V-shape on its side at the rear. Add two large and two small ovals for the wheels. Place a U-shape on its side through the rear wheel. Attach a slanted rectangle to an angled diamond. This forms the “cowcatcher” in the front.

Connect an upside-down bowl, two J-shapes (one backward), and two lines to form the smokestack. Place a long curved line under the smokestack and under a half circle (the bell cover). Form the roof by attaching curved lines.

When drawing a cartoon locomotive, draw the grille on the cowcatcher. Form the eyes, nose-lamp, cheeks, smile, and lips.

Step 3: Use four rectangles (one partial) for the grille on the cowcatcher. Attach three odd U-shapes for the wheel-bar and cylinder.

Add an oval, half circle, and curved lines to form the eyes, nose-lamp, cheeks, smile, and lips. Detail the smokestack using curved lines.

When drawing a cartoon locomotive, add windows and lines to show the smoking stack and clouds of smoke.

Step 4: Draw partial circles on the wheels and an oval on the wheel-bar. Use a rectangle and lines for the windows. Add lines under the roof. Place a U-shape by the bell cover.

Add circles along the side. Sketch circles and curves for the eyes and nose-lamp cover. Attach U-shapes and lines to show the smoking stack and clouds of smoke.

To finish drawing a cartoon locomotive, darken the irises. Shade the wheels, bell cover, smokestack, and clouds of smoke.

Step 5: Darken the irises. Use short lines to shade the wheels, bell cover, smokestack, and clouds of smoke.

Wow! Your cartoon locomotive looks good enough to chug alongside the best. Well done.

Monday, January 3, 2011

How to Draw a Cartoon Mouse

So you think you can’t draw a cartoon mouse? Think again! With a little creativity and a few steps, you can learn how to draw a cuddly cartoon mouse with ease. Simply follow our step-by-step instructions and your cartoon mouse will be on the prowl for cheese in no time.

To draw a cartoon mouse, examine the illustration of a cartoon mouse before proceeding to step 1.
Learn how to draw this cartoon mouse.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above cartoon mouse. You can draw this cartoon mouse freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

To draw a cartoon mouse, start by drawing the head, body, and legs. Draw a rectangle shape for the cheese.

Step 1: Begin with a slightly flat, oval head. Add a slipper-shaped snout. Form the pear-shaped body. Attach large partial ovals for the legs.

Draw small ovals for the shoulders. Use two parallel lines for the neck. Sketch a slanted rectangle for the top of the cheese.

When drawing a cartoon mouse, draw the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet. Finish the cheese with a V-shape.

Step 2: Draw oval ears. Use U-shapes for the eyes. Put one on a line. Form a V-shaped nose. Place a Y-shape in a U-shaped mouth. Connect the shoulder and leg on your left.

Attach a U-shape to two lines for the arm. Add a circle for the hand. Use an oval and two curves for the other hand and the foot under it. Use an odd curve for the other foot. Finish the cheese with a V-shape.

When drawing a cartoon mouse, add eyelids, eyebrows, teeth, the neck, belly, arms, the tail, and fingers. Draw cheese holes.

Step 3: Attach L-shapes to curves for the eyelids and bridge of the nose. Add comma-shaped eyebrows. Join a curve and U-shape for the teeth. Connect V-shapes to curves for neck hair.

Use long lines for the neck and belly. Form a long V-shaped tail. Add V-shapes to the tail and leg. Use curves and U-shapes for the arm, fingers, and foot. Draw oval and heart-shaped cheese holes.

When drawing a cartoon mouse, detail the eyes and hair. Sketch whiskers, tongue, and wagging tail. Show the cheese’s aroma.

Step 4: Detail the eyes with curved lines and a partial oval. Use curved lines and curved V-shapes for hair on the arm and head. Draw a long curved line and tiny V-shape in the ear. Sketch whiskers and a tongue using curved lines.

Form a teardrop-shaped nostril. Add five short lines to the cheese. “Show” the cheese’s aroma as a curved Z-shape with three curved lines in it. Show the tail wagging with some short lines.

To finish drawing a cartoon mouse, darken the eyebrows, pupils, and nostril. Add shadow lines in the cheese holes.

Step 5: Darken the eyebrows, pupils, and nostril. Add shadow lines in the cheese holes.

That's it -- you're done! Your cartoon mouse looks great. Let’s stay on track and continue to the next page to learn how to draw a vehicle that’s always on the move.