Learn How To Design A Cute And Simple Character With Adobe Illustrator

Using the basic shapes in Adobe Illustrator is one of the easiest and funniest ways to do great work. You can start to create and make them without fear of results, just follow your artistic sense and see where you will be taken.



In this lesson you will learn how to design a baby character in a bear suit using only the basic shapes such as squares and rectangles.

Let's start with the head first

The first step

Create a new file, through the drop down menus and select File> New document, Then through the tool menu select Rounded rectangle tool.

Click randomly anywhere on the artboard, and you will see a panel, enter the following values:

Width (width): 300px

Height (height): 250px.

Angle diameter: 60px.

Fill color: orange.

The third step

Double click on the workspace as you did before and set the following:Width: width)): 38px.Angle diameter: 60 px.

Select Rotation tool from the tools bar and drag this shape over the previous shape and choose the black color as the fill color as shown in the following image. 

This will be the shape of the bear's nose for the character that we'll design.

Step four

To draw a bear's eye, draw a circle using the ellipse tool.

Copy and paste the circle in front of the other Ctrl + f. Move the other circle slightly up and then from the pathfinder panel choose the minus front command. After selecting the two circles.

Step Five

After you have finished designing the shape of the eye, copy the same shape again, then move them in the right place for the bear's eyes.

Step Six

To draw the bear nose professionally, draw a rectangular rectangle smaller than the nose and fill it with white color as shown in the picture and put it in the left corner of the nose. 

Also, draw a horizontal rectangle from the top of the bear's face to the top of the bear's nose.

Step Seven

Now, let's add the ears using rectangles with circular corners. 

Double click on the work surface, and when the panel appears, enter the following values:

Width: 75px.

Height: 115px.

Radius diameter: 23px.

Step Eight

To add details to the ear, double the previous image using the direct selection tool.

Select all corners of the ear except the upper-left corner and then delete them by pressing delete on the keyboard. Modify the fill option to stroke.

Step Nine

Set the position of the line to the left side of the ear shape, and then increase the shape size by dragging it from one corner, and then move the shape to the right place as shown in the following image.

Step Ten

Now let's add the eyes to the cartoon character using the rounded rectangle tool, double-click on the artboard, and when the panel appears, enter the following values:

Width width: 27px.

High: 43px.

Angle diameter: 23 px.

Fill color: blue

Step Eleven

Set the position of the eyes in the center of the face, and then add the white circles as shown.

So we have drawn the child's eyes.

Step Twelve

Now we will draw the child's mouth, select the rectangle tool again, and draw a circular rectangle, with the following characteristics:

Height Height: 65px.

Diameter: 28px.

Choose the stroke command

Then select a direct selection tools, select the shape and delete it, and keep only the middle part of the mouth.

Place your mouth in the right place as shown in the picture

Creating character's body

Step One

Create a circle rectangle again, and enter the following values:

Width width: 85px.

Height Height: 225px.

Diameter of the circle Radius: 43px.

Choose orange. Repeat the shape by copying it and dragging it again. Reduce it by dragging it from one corner and then change the small rectangle color to become close to the color shown in the picture. These shapes are the final shape of the character.

Step Two

Move the little rectangle and put it in the middle of the big rectangle and then move the two rectangles together and put them down the head, now we have a structure to work on.

Step Three

Now you have some experience to do the work alone, just look at the following image and apply it.

Step Four

To design the feet, draw a black circle and a thin rectangle as shown in the image, choose the selection tool. Select and delete the lower part of the circle Move the remaining half of the circle and merge it with the rectangle so that you have drawn the first foot.

Step Five

Select the hand and the man in the left direction of the body.

And then make a copy by pressing ctrl + c then ctrl + v, now we need to turn the hand and the foot to fit the position of the right hand and foot, go to the drop down menu and choose object > transform

After this option click on reflect, select from the panel vertical axis and press ok.

The shape becomes as follows

Hair Drawing - Adding details

You can add some details to the character to make it more beautiful, we will do it by adding hair to the boy and add hand cuff. You can add shades or draw buttons to the bear suit. Think of anything you can add to the drawing and add it lately.

The first step

To draw hair draw a rectangle as you learned previously, click on anywhere in the artboard. Make the height and width 150px, and the color of these parts is brown or any color you want to be his hair color.

Step Two

Click on the Rotation tool from the Tools menu. A panel will appear, place number 10 and press OK.

Step Three

Make two copies of the square and place them above each other as in the following image and then through the Pathfinder menu, click on the merge option like in the image to become one element.

Step Four

Now drag the shape we created and align it to the rectangle of the face, then select both the face and the hair shape, then through Pathfinder select Intersects. this option will show only the common area between the two shapes for the character hair.

Step Five

And finally add two rectangles on each of our character's hand.

These small details give the painting more cuteness.

The final result:

Congratulations! We hope that you will be able to create your own cartoon characters after reading this article. If you have any questions, please write a comment below this article.