How to Draw a Cartoon Face in Under 3 Minutes
Draw this cartoon face step by step with a pencil and eraser. It takes about 15 minutes and works for ages 5 and up. Follow the steps below, or draw along with the video. The page comes from Kevin Coulston’s book How to Draw: Food Monsters.
- Step-by-step drawing
- Ages 5+
- Grades K–2
- Easy
- About 15 min
You’ll need
- Pencil and eraser
- Paper, or the printed page
- Crayons, markers or colored pencils
You’ll practice
- Breaking a drawing into simple shapes
- Following steps in order
- Adding your own details
How to Draw a Cartoon Face in Under 3 Minutes
Below is a short video showcasing the basic steps of drawing a cartoon character's face. This video is great for kids, and is easy to follow along! Bring the whole family in on it and make it fun.
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The Above Video features one of the many characters you'll learn to draw in Kevin Coulston's How to Draw: Goofy Faces, available now only on Amazon.
5 Reasons Your Kids Will Love This Book
- Easy-to-follow 6 step instructions
- Funny art you won't find in any other series
- Promotes active imaginations
- Boosts creativity, and nurtures talent.
- Hours and hours of fun!
But most importantly, they'll learn to love expressing themselves creatively, and that's a quality we could all benefit from.
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Each character comes with its own drawing page for your kid's art!
Nurture your children's artistic talents with this fun book and they'll have a blast the whole time!
This step-by-step drawing book for kids is ideal for creatives aged 5+, and it's fun for the whole family.
Each book in the "How to Draw" series from FirstArtBooks is filled with unique art you won't find anywhere else, all hand-drawn by children's author and illustrator Kevin Coulston, known for series such as Alexis and the T-Rexes, The Adventures of a 4th Grade Space Captain, and Dylan McVillain.
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If this book interests you, we think you’ll love this title: How to Draw: Food Monsters
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Draw it 3 ways
Every FirstArtBooks theme comes in three formats. Trace it, draw it step by step, or copy it square by square: the more ways kids draw a character, the better they know it.
- How to Draw
Draw it step by stepYou’re on this pageSee all How to Draw books - Trace Then Color
Trace Then Color A Grumpy Cartoon FaceSame theme · Ages 3+See all Trace Then Color books - Draw by Grid
Draw by Grid: A Goofy FaceSame theme · Ages 7+See all Draw by Grid books
Finished? Draw the scene next
- Add a background: draw a crowded bus or a line at the store.
- Write one line under your picture to finish this story:
Everyone turned around because…
That’s a picture book page. Draw two more and you have a whole story.
Draw it, then write about it
Give your cartoon face a name and a job. What makes it happy, and what makes it grumpy? Write two or three sentences.
Print a draw-and-write sheet: a box for the drawing and lines for the story. Primary lines (K–2) · Regular lines (grades 2–5)
Want to make it a whole story? Try the comic story starter or fold a mini-book in Story Studio.
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- The eyes sit too high on the head.
- On a real head, the eyes are halfway down. Draw a light line across the middle and put the eyes on it.
- The expression is hard to read.
- Eyebrows do most of the work. Tilt them down in the middle for angry, up in the middle for worried.
- The ears are in the wrong place.
- The tops of the ears line up with the eyes, and the bottoms line up with the nose.
- Pressing hard from the very first step.
- Use light, sketchy lines first. You can erase them easily and go over the lines you keep at the end.
More in 10 common drawing mistakes kids make.
Talk about it
For the grown-up: ask one or two of these while your child draws. There are no wrong answers.
- How is this face feeling? What could have happened to make it feel that way?
- Can you make that face too? Which part of your face changes most?
- What colors will you use, and why?
- What name fits this character?
More ideas in 25 questions to ask kids about their art.
Questions about this drawing lesson
What age is this cartoon face drawing lesson for?
Ages 5 and up (about grades K to 2). Younger kids can follow along with a grown-up, one step at a time.
How long does it take?
About 15 minutes, including time to pause the video. Kids who add their own details or a background often keep going longer.
What supplies do you need?
Pencil and eraser; paper, or the printed page; crayons, markers or colored pencils.
What size does it print?
Nothing needs printing: draw along on any paper, Letter or A4.
Can kids draw the cartoon face without printing the page?
Yes. Draw on any paper and copy one step at a time from the screen, or pause the video after each step.
For teachers: grade, timing and standards
Grades K–2, about 15 minutes. Step-by-step drawing, easy level. The video does the teaching: press play and let students draw along.
National Core Arts Standards (visual arts)
- VA:Cr2 Organize and develop artistic ideas and work: students build drawing skills by following a sequence of steps.
- VA:Cr3 Refine and complete artistic work: students add their own details, expressions and color to finish the character.
See every lesson by standard, plus the math in grid drawing, on the arts standards map.
Copies: print as many as your class needs. More in the teacher resources, the Funny Faces hub and our no-prep sub plans.
Get the free Christmas Drawing Pack
10 printable Christmas pages to draw, trace, color and decorate, sent with your welcome email. After that, Kevin’s newsletter brings new free pages and book news.
Take the idea into a book
Want more characters to draw, trace or color? Explore these related books and see which approach fits your next creative session.
How to Draw: Food Monsters
By Kevin Coulston
Explore this book →
Trace Then Color: Cartoon Food Monsters
By Kevin Coulston
Explore this book →
Draw by Grid: Food Monsters
By Kevin Coulston
Explore this book →More like this: all 13 free face drawing lessons and pages →
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