Turn Shapes into Cartoon Characters: New Triangle Shape Drawing Challenge Video
I’m back with another installment in my Shape Drawing Challenge video series, and this one is a lot of fun. In the 4th video, I start with a simple triangle and show you how to turn shapes into cartoon characters. This time around, that single triangle becomes a bird, a robot, and a bunny rabbit. As always, this video is all about using your imagination, experimenting with shapes, and turning something super simple into something unexpected and fun.
If you’re a fan of creative drawing prompts or you’re just looking for a unique activity to spark some artistic energy in your kids, this is the kind of drawing challenge you’re going to want to try. And if you’ve been following this video series from the beginning, you already know how much fun it can be to turn shapes into cartoon characters.
How the Shape Drawing Challenge Book Connects
The video ties directly into my book, Shape Drawing Challenge, which is packed with activities just like this. Each page of the book features a different shape and space to draw three different characters or objects. The goal is to turn shapes into cartoon characters while using your imagination, critical thinking, and creativity.
I designed the book to be flexible. It can be used at home, in the classroom, or during art time anywhere. It works for younger kids who are just learning how to draw and older kids who want to stretch their imagination. There’s no pressure to make your drawings perfect—in fact, the whole point is to get a little weird and see what comes out of it.
Why Turning Shapes into Cartoon Characters Matters
Why put so much focus on turning shapes into cartoon characters? Because it’s one of the simplest ways to teach creativity and visual problem solving. Starting with a shape eliminates that fear of the blank page. It gives kids a place to start, while still leaving all the fun decisions up to them.
When kids learn to turn shapes into cartoon characters, they’re not just doodling. They’re making choices, testing ideas, and growing their confidence. They start seeing everyday objects as things that can be reimagined and reinterpreted. That kind of thinking is valuable far beyond drawing.
About My Art Books for Kids
The Shape Drawing Challenge book is just one of many I’ve created to help kids draw and express themselves creatively. I’ve built out several drawing book series for kids, including:
- How to Draw: Teaches kids to draw characters step by step.
- Trace Then Color: Perfect for younger kids who want to trace cute characters before coloring them in.
- Draw by Grid: Breaks down drawing into manageable steps using a simple grid format.
Each series is meant to make drawing fun, approachable, and confidence-boosting. All of the artwork in my books is hand drawn by me—no AI, no stock art, just original, character-driven designs.
And just like the video shows, many of the characters I draw come from a place of playful experimentation. That’s why learning to turn shapes into cartoon characters is such a key piece of my approach to drawing. It teaches you to be loose, to explore, and to enjoy the process of figuring things out on the page.
About the Video: One Triangle, Three Characters
The concept is simple: take one shape and see how many things you can turn it into. In this case, a triangle serves as the base. From there, I walk through how I used that triangle to build three completely different characters:
- A cheerful cartoon bird with the triangle forming its beak and head.
- A quirky robot with a triangular body and fun, geometric details.
- A cute bunny rabbit whose triangle base is flipped and stylized into a full cartoon character.
The best part? These drawings are simple enough that kids can follow along, but open-ended enough that they can use the same triangle to create their own interpretations. That’s one of the big benefits when you turn shapes into cartoon characters—there are no wrong answers.
Watch The Free Video Tutorial:
Keep the Challenge Going
If you and your kids enjoy the idea of turning shapes into cartoon characters, you’ll love the activities in the Shape Drawing Challenge book. It’s one of the most flexible and creative books in my lineup. You can start anywhere, pick a shape, and dive in. Whether it’s a triangle like in this new video, or a blob, square, squiggle, or oval, each page opens up a new creative opportunity.
You don’t have to be a professional artist to enjoy these challenges. All you need is a pencil and your imagination.
So give the video a watch, grab the book if you haven’t yet, and see what you can do with a simple triangle. If you like what you create, keep going. Try different shapes, different characters, and challenge your friends and family to turn shapes into cartoon characters too.
Thanks for checking out the new video, and as always, keep drawing!
Kevin Coulston is an accomplished cartoonist, animator, and writer. He is the author and illustrator of over 80 (and still counting) children’s drawing books available here on FirstArtBooks.com. Kevin has also authored numerous kid-friendly comic book series, including “Dylan McVillain: A Super Villain with the Best Intentions” and “The Adventures of a 4th Grade Space Captain,” along with the Children’s Picture Book series “Alexis and the T-Rexes.”
