The 'goofy guy' is a favorite cartoon archetype - lazy, stupid, good natured and harmless, he's a cartoon classic. Learn how to draw a cartoon goofy guy with this step by step tutorial by Shawn Encarnacion.

Kids love drawing animals, but they can be quite challenging. Try looking at a picture of the animal they want to draw, and discuss it with them. Is its body round, or more of an oval? Do you need another oval for hips and shoulders? How long are its legs? What shape is its head - round, or perhaps wedge-shaped? Children often press hard with a pencil too, which makes it difficult to erase if they change their mind about something. Encourage them to use a lighter touch. A softer pencil, such as a B or 2B, enables them to get a dark line without pressing hard.

Easy Animal Drawing Lessons:
A Simple Sea Turtle
Draw A Tropical Fish
Draw a Bunny Rabbit
Draw a Horse

When you're drawing the human figure from life, it helps to know what is going on under the skin. Sometimes the angle or lighting can make it difficult to see what you are trying to describe, and sometimes you need to emphasize the anatomy to make it 'work'. Studying reference sources on the skeleton and musculature of the human body is an important part of any figure drawing course. If you are learning independently, include anatomical studies in your work. These Human Anatomy - Musculature Reference Photos are simple, clear illustrations without any text, to use as visual aids in your drawing.

Related Articles:
Figure Drawing - The Head and Neck
Figure Drawing - Structure
How to Draw the Nose

The quick and easy trend seems to be getting worse. We want everything reduced to One Rule, and that rule has to be Simple. And as if we weren't having enough trouble dispelling the Inborn Talent myth, it seems there's some Secret Knowlege that will make you an Artist. Seriously. Do people really think there are 'secrets' that they need to uncover, or just one special bit of knowledge that will make the difference between ordinary and excellent? It would be nice if we could shell out a few dollars and be given the secret handshake to artistic success. But there is no such magical answer.

Drawing can be as simple and as natural as speaking - but try speaking in a foreign language, and you know that that simple, natural process is actually very complex. You can't boil it down to a single rule. To learn to draw well, you need to spend time learning the vocabulary and syntax of line, tone, form, structure, perspective and composition. You need to practice and work at it. You need to think about what you are doing and be willing to change how you do it.

'The Knowledge' is out there - there's a shelf full of wisdom, for free, at your local library. And there's plenty here online. But a good teacher is valuable, and if you like an artist's work and are confident that they are reputable - caveat emptor, and all that - attending seminars and workshops can be worthwhile.

I'll tell you my Magic Key to Drawing^tm. Practice drawing from life. (Yep, that's it. Well, I never said anything about it being a secret.... but it does work!)