← PORTRAIT PRACTICE

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GRADES 3–5 · Proportion · Cartoon Portraits

Place Features on a Face: Make a Cartoon

Name ____________________ Date __________

WHAT YOU WILL MAKE

Create three cartoon design trials and two consistent drawings of your chosen design, focusing on place features on a face. Use the subject steps as practice before making this final pair or set.

Shared feature reference for Proportion
Shared feature reference. It may not show this task’s exact pose, accessory, or style. Use the teacher’s matching reference too.

Draw it step by step

Use guides lightly, then adjust them to the person you see. Invent an original cartoon interpretation. Exaggerate a drawing choice rather than mocking a real person or a group.

  1. Start from the observed shape. Choose one feature to enlarge, shorten, widen, or curve more strongly; sketch three tiny options.
  2. Draw the whole head, including the top—not only the face.
  3. Add a centerline and an eye guide roughly halfway from crown to chin as a starting check.
  4. Observe the real positions of nose, mouth, and ears; adjust and erase guides.
  5. Pick one option and redraw it clearly. Keep it consistent in a second pose or expression. Use bold, selective lines instead of realistic shading.

Watch out → Try this

Common drawing problem: Adding small details before the main shapes and placement are clear.

Repair: Return to the first subject step: Draw the whole head, including the top—not only the face. Compare the biggest shapes before refining.

Check your work: Did observation change any of your starting guides? What did you exaggerate? Which two design features stay consistent across both drawings?

Materials: pencil, eraser, paper, and a mirror or teacher-approved reference. Optional black drawing pen; no painting required.

Place Features on a Face: Make a Cartoon · Practice page

Name ____________________ Make light trials first. Divide a box further if your task needs extra versions.

1 · Observe and plan
2 · First drawing
3 · Change one choice
4 · Independent application

My evidence: Did observation change any of your starting guides? What did you exaggerate? Which two design features stay consistent across both drawings?

I changed __________________ because I noticed __________________.

My next practice goal: __________________________________________________