✅ What you'll learn
- Key ideas from this activity
- Step-by-step guidance
- Tips from Parikshet (age 11)
- How to build on what you learn
💡 Perfect if you're thinking...
A short, friendly story about how drawing your favourite cartoon character can be easier than it looks.
The Story
Parikshet's favourite cartoon was Doraemon. And in that cartoon, the big tough boy called Gian was very, very memorable. Today, Parikshet wanted to draw him.
But Gian had such a big round face and such a funny haircut. "How will I ever get this right?" Parikshet wondered, tapping his pencil on the table.
He decided to start with shapes, the way his art teacher had taught him. First, a big oval for Gian's face. Then a smaller oval inside for his mouth, opened wide as if he were singing very badly.
Two small round eyes, two tiny lines for eyebrows, and a flat little nose. Then came the trademark thick haircut — almost like a small black helmet on his head.
Parikshet added a striped t-shirt and shorts. He stepped back and laughed out loud. It really looked like Gian, mouth wide open, ready to sing one of his terrible songs.
He showed it to his sister, who burst into giggles. "Now draw Doraemon too," she begged. And so Parikshet kept drawing. One cartoon, then another, all afternoon long.
🌟 The Moral
Even the most complicated characters become easy when you start with simple shapes and keep going step by step.
What This Story Is About
- Drawing cartoon characters
- Patience and practice
- Sharing laughter through art
💭 Talk About It
- Who is your favourite cartoon character?
- What shape would you start with to draw their face?
- Why do you think we love silly characters?
About This Story
In this drawing tutorial video, Parikshet takes you through a step-by-step guide to drawing a recognisable and fun character. Learning to draw teaches hand-eye coordination, patience, attention to detail, and the fundamental skill of breaking a complex image down into simple shapes — a technique used by professional illustrators worldwide.
What to Look For
- Notice how Parikshet starts with simple basic shapes (circles, ovals, rectangles) before adding detail — this is the correct approach used by every professional artist and illustrator.
- Watch the proportions of each element relative to the others — getting proportions right is often more important than perfect line quality.
- See how he adds personality through small details — the expression, the posture, and the finishing touches are what make a drawing feel alive rather than flat.
- Observe how he handles mistakes — professional artists understand that marks can be adjusted, lightened, or incorporated rather than treated as failures.
Words to Know
- Proportion: The size relationship between different parts of a drawing — a character's head should be roughly a certain size relative to the body.
- Guidelines: Light pencil marks drawn first to help position elements correctly, then erased after the final lines are added.
- Contour line: A line that follows the outer edge of a shape, defining its form and volume.
- Shading: Adding darker tones to create the impression of depth, shadow, and three-dimensional form in a two-dimensional drawing.
- Iteration: Drawing something multiple times, each time getting slightly better — repetition is the only way to improve at drawing.
Talk About It!
- What character would you most like to learn to draw — and what simple shapes do you think make up its basic form?
- Why do you think learning to draw by starting with simple shapes makes it easier than trying to draw the whole thing perfectly from the start?
- How does following a step-by-step tutorial teach you differently from trying to copy a finished drawing directly?
What Did You Learn?
Drawing is a skill, not a talent — it can be learned by absolutely anyone who is willing to practise regularly. The secret is always to start simple, stay patient, and draw the same thing many times until your hand and eye begin to work together automatically!
🧠 Quick Quiz — Test What You Learned!
Created by Parikshet & Dad
Hi! I'm Parikshet, an 11-year-old creator from Dubai who loves drawing, art, science experiments, and golf. My dad and I run KidsFunLearnClub to share fun learning activities with kids around the world. We've created over 1,900 tutorials and videos to help you learn and have fun!
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Explore AI for Kids → What is AI? Start hereFrequently Asked Questions
Is Gian a real person?
No — Gian is a cartoon character from the Japanese show Doraemon, known for being big, bossy and a terrible singer.
How can children copy cartoon characters easily?
Break the face into simple shapes — circles, ovals, triangles. Start light with a pencil, then add details.
Is it okay to draw copyrighted characters?
For personal practice and fun at home, yes. For selling or publishing, you would need permission.
What if my drawing does not look like the character?
That is part of learning. Keep practising — every artist's first try looks different from their hundredth.