How to Draw a Fictional Character
In this tutorial, I will show you how to draw a fictional character in two versions. First, we will draw a fictional human character, followed by a fictional animal character.
How to Draw a Fictional Character: Introduction
I will explain the principles of drawing fantastic creatures so that you can create other fairy-tale characters using your imagination. I’ll describe what will make your characters look fictional and fantasy.
First, I’ll show you how to draw a fictional character in human form. This character will resemble a person but will have features that give it a fantasy or fairy-tale appearance. In my example, the fictional character has pointed ears and wears knight armor, indicating its fictional or fantasy origins.
Then, I’ll show you how to draw a fictional character in animal form. In this case, the creature resembles a combination of a cat, a hare, and a squirrel. You can adjust the appearance of your character based on your imagination.
You can also modify this character’s appearance by drawing wings or horns. Adding shadows and highlights can increase the complexity of the drawing. I don’t use these techniques in this tutorial because I focus on simpler tutorials, but you can do this if you feel confident in your skills.
Take your drawing supplies and start this easy tutorial on how to draw this fictional character.
Fictional Character Drawing Tutorial
Materials
- Pencil
- Paper
- Eraser
- Coloring supplies
Time needed: 35 minutes
How to Draw a Fictional Character
- Sketch the head and torso of the fictional character.
The head of the fictional character is a larger oval at the top, while the torso is a smaller oval below, connected to the head. These basic shapes will serve as the foundation for your character’s body. You will refine the shapes later, so for now, focus on their basic placement and size, using very light lines.
- Draw the facial features.
Draw the eyes of the fictional character as two overs or circles. Add simple eyebrows above the eyes and a small, curved mouth below. Keep the features minimal, as this is a fictional character drawn in minimalistic and cartoon styles. You can adjust these details, to give your fictional character a different expression.
- Add the ears and hair.
For this fictional character, draw the ears with pointed tips on each side of the head, which adds a fantasy element. Next, sketch the character’s hair. In this example, the hair is short with bangs, but you can adjust the hairstyle to fit your own imagination.
- Draw the torso armor.
In this case, the character wears a classic knight armor. First, draw the chest plate over the torso, creating a curved rectangular shape. Then, draw the fauld, which is the part of the armor that covers the upper legs. Use a trapezoid shape for the fauld and add horizontal lines to represent the segmented metal plates.
- Add the arms of the fictional character.
Add the rounded shoulder pieces that extend from the body, resembling armor. Then, draw the character’s arms hanging down on either side. The arms should be simple, as we are drawing a fictional character in simplified, almost chibi style.
- Draw the leg and boots.
Draw the legs extending from the bottom of the torso, keeping them simple. Then, add basic shoes at the bottom. Since we are drawing a fictional character, you can make the legs almost any length, without focusing on real human proportions.
- Add the sword and final armor details.
Position the sword behind the character, with the handle sticking up above the shoulder. The sword handle can be drawn as a simple rectangular shape with a crossguard at the top. Then, refine the armor by adding small details, such as lines on the chest plate and arm guards to represent metal plates or straps.
- Finalize the details.
Go over the entire fictional character drawing to clean up and refine the details. Smooth out the lines and adjust the proportions if necessary. Focus on making the armor pieces look natural and realistic. Add any small final details, if it’s necessary.
- Color the fictional character.
For the armor, use metallic shades like silver or grey to give it a realistic, steel-like appearance. The belt and sword handle can be colored brown to indicate leather and wood. For the hair, you can use any color, for example a soft lavender. The face can be colored in any tone, since we draw a fictional character.
How to Draw a Fictional Animal
In this tutorial, I will show you how to draw a fictional animal character that looks like a combination of a cat and a squirrel. This is a basic guide that can be adapted to create your own unique creature by adjusting the facial features, body parts, and overall proportions.
To begin, draw the head as a rounded shape, followed by an oval for the body. Make sure the body is positioned horizontally, as this will define the character’s posture. Connect the head and body with a short neck, keeping the proportions simple.
Next, draw the front and hind legs, using curved lines to represent the joints and paws. Now, add large, pointed ears on the head and a tail extending from the back of the body. The ears should be long and prominent to give the character a fantasy look.
After that, draw the face with large eyes and a small nose. Finally, go over the entire drawing to refine the details and erase any unnecessary guidelines. Once the sketch is complete, you can add color and draw shadows and highlights.
Conclusion
This tutorial covered how to draw a fictional character. Since it is a fictional character, you can freely add or remove details as you wish. For example, you can draw horns, wings, or even extra arms and heads. However, it is important to keep in mind that one of the most important aspects of drawing fictional characters is not making them overly implausible. When designing a fictional character, it is still necessary to recognize the boundaries that should not be crossed. If the character becomes too unrealistic, it may lose its appeal and interest to the viewer.
