Envato Tuts+ Tutorials

25+ Inspirational PowerPoint PPT Presentation Designs Examples (2021)

Posted: 13 Jun 2021 05:55 AM PDT

Are you creating a PowerPoint presentation in 2021? If you are, looking at good presentation design examples can serve as presentation inspiration.

Adventurous PPT Design Inspiration — The Adventurous template from Envato Elements makes a great choice for an inspirational PPT.

You can use the PowerPoint or presentation example as a starting place for your own ideas. A professionally designed presentation template gives you a head start on your presentation. Find the right motivational slides inspiration at Envato Elements or GraphicRiver.

Here, I'll share over 25 PowerPoint presentation examples for your presentation inspiration. 15 of those examples are templates that you can download. The remaining presentation examples will be from SlideShare.

Get ready to be inspired!

Grab a Premium PowerPoint Template to Make the Best Presentation Design in 2021

Downloading a free PowerPoint presentation template or designing your own is tempting. But your best option is to start with a professionally designed slideshow template. Look at those available from Envato Elements or GraphicRiver.

Envato Elements move up — You can find hundreds of professional presentation templates on Envato Elements.

Starting with professional PPT design inspiration saves you time and even money. If you hire a designer to create a presentation template from scratch, it would cost much more. Plus, our premium templates are easy to customize. You can make your presentation truly unique.

If you use lots of design assets in your business such as presentation templates, WordPress themes, photos, fonts, and more—Envato Elements is your best choice. Download an unlimited number of assets for one monthly fee.

But, if you just need a single template for one-time use, GraphicRiver offers hundreds of PowerPoint presentation templates.

Now, let's look at some of these template designs. You'll see how they can help you to create a great PowerPoint presentation.

4 Inspiring PowerPoint Presentation Design Examples (From Envato Elements 2021)

Great design plays an important role in making motivational PowerPoints. You don't have to be a professional designer to achieve an inspirational effect. You just need the right template. Here are some inspirational PPT designs available through Envato Elements in 2021:

1. Contact PowerPoint Template

This PowerPoint template includes everything you need to make a compelling presentation. You can adapt these attractive slide designs for your PowerPoint presentation. You can also change the colors to make this match your business branding.

2. In Power PowerPoint Template

In Power PowerPoint Inspiration Template

Get PowerPoint presentation inspiration with In Power. These polished PowerPoint slide designs will convey your message and engage your audience. These professionally designed motivational slides are easy to customize for your own presentation needs. There's also a help file.

3. Pastel Shades PowerPoint Template

Pastel Shades PPT Design Inspiration Template

Data visualization elements make your statistics and other data interesting. You can also change the background of these motivational slides to include your own color, a gradient, or even a photo.

4. Idea Splash PowerPoint Theme

Idea Splash PowerPoint Presentation Design Inspiration

This template is all about PowerPoint presentation inspiration. Customize the Idea Splash PowerPoint Theme with your own text and pictures. Then, share your own unique message with your audience. This template gives you 32 slide masters. So, you can choose the slide designs that fit your presentation needs.

Envato Elements (Design Without Limits)

Envato Elements has a single compelling (all-inclusive) offer:

Sign up for Envato Elements. You'll get access to thousands of unlimited use graphics and templates (with unlimited use). Get great web themes, inspiring PowerPoint templates, and more—all for one low price.

Envato Elements unlimited creative files — Envato Elements gives you access to unlimited files that are perfect to build motivational presentation PPT files.

That's right! Download as many professional templates and graphics as you want. Then customize them to fit any of your project needs.

Envato Elements is a powerful option. But if you prefer to buy the best unique and inspiring PowerPoint templates one at a time, check out the selection from our GraphicRiver marketplace below. This is a great choice if you don't need unlimited access to hundreds of motivational presentation PPT options.

10 More Inspirational PowerPoint Presentation Slide Designs (From GraphicRiver 2021)

Envato Elements isn't the only online home for PowerPoint presentation inspiration. Here are some motivational PowerPoint presentation designs available on GraphicRiver in 2021:

1. Motagua Multipurpose PowerPoint Template

Montagua Multipurpose PowerPoint Slides Inspiration Template

You'll find that this PowerPoint template has a great cover slide design. Add your own image for the most impact. You'll also love the infographic elements included with this PowerPoint presentation template. With over 600 unique motivational slides, you'll have no trouble making many motivational PowerPoints.

2. Verzus Minimal PowerPoint Template

Verzus Minimal PowerPoint Presentation Inspiration Template

Build a powerful presentation with this minimal design PowerPoint template. You'll find all the slide designs you need. They include great-looking title pages, timeline slides, and electronic product mockups. Verzus's minimal look complements your inspirational topics for a PowerPoint presentation well.

3. Startup X – Perfect Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

Startup X - Perfect Pitch Deck PowerPoint Inspiration Template

Try Startup X if you need PowerPoint presentation design inspiration. With its large number of color variations and professionally designed slides. Your presentation will be off to a good start. Replace the placeholders with your own photos and images for the most impact.

4. Simplicity 2.0 Premium Template

Simplicity Premium Presentation Design Inspiration Template

This best-selling PowerPoint template has a clean design. You can quickly create a great motivational PowerPoint presentation. Notice how each slide highlights your information without being cluttered or busy. With over 600 slides, PowerPoint presentation inspiration won't be hard to come by.

5. i9 Template System

Here's another popular slideshow design. It includes elements like infographics, maps, and device mockups. Choose between light and dark versions of 11 color themes. You can get the presentation to look exactly right for your business. The i9 theme is versatile and fits inspirational topics for a PowerPoint presentation.

6. MassiveX Presentation Template v2.1

Massive X PowerPoint Presentation Inspiration Template

If you like choices, you'll like the Massive X Presentations Template for PowerPoint. It gives you plenty of options for creating a good PowerPoint presentation. There are over 710 unique slides and over 15 color themes (with light and dark variations). You'll never have a shortage of PPT presentation design inspiration for motivational PowerPoints.

7. Marketofy Ultimate PowerPoint Template

Marketyofy Ultimate PowerPoint Presentation Inspiration Template

This template begins with an attractive cover page that's just ready for you to add your own image. The slideshow template design stands out with its unique color themes. It also includes vector objects, and infographic diagrams.

8. Space PowerPoint Template

Space PowerPoint Design Inspiration Template

Create an interesting-looking presentation with the Space PowerPoint template. These clean and simple slide templates will add a modern feel to any slideshow. Plus, there are tons of pre-built features to customize.

9. Investor Pitch Deck PowerPoint Template

Investor Pitch Deck PowerPoint Design Inspiration Template

These professionally handcrafted slide designs will help your PowerPoint presentation stand out for any audience. With more than 67,000 slides, the Investor Pitch Deck template has enough elements to give you PowerPoint (PPT) design inspiration. The minimalistic design used here will help your listeners focus on your message rather than being distracted by clutter.

10. iTrue PowerPoint Presentation Template

iTrue Motivational PowerPoint Presentation

The iTrue PowerPoint Presentation Template boasts more than 90 color themes. So, customize it to match your business branding. These professionally designed slide templates include a huge choice of infographics.

How to Quickly Customize Inspiring PowerPoint PPT Presentation Designs (2021)

Motivational slides help inspire your audience. And thanks to pre-built templates from Envato Elements, you can build them quickly! Read on to learn how in just five easy steps.

To follow along, download the Inspired motivational presentation PPT from Envato Elements.

Let's get started:

1. Add a Motivational Quote

Motivational slides deserve inspiring quotes to engage your audience. To add one, highlight any block of text.

Inspiring PowerPoint templates — Use a favorite inspirational quote to create motivational slides.

Then, simply start typing. You could also paste in text from another source by right-clicking and choosing Paste.

2. Change Object Colors

Object and shape colors help bring new life to your motivational presentation PPT. It's a great way to add contrast. Start by clicking on the shape. Then, on the ribbon, choose Shape Format.

On the left side, click Shape Fill. You'll see a color chooser that you can use to add custom colors. Click on one to apply it.

3. Customize Fonts

It's easy to forget, but fonts are a key part of your motivational slides. Thanks to PowerPoint, they're easy to customize.

Font motivational slides — Use the **Font** menu on the **Home** tab to set a complementary color palette in your motivational presentation PPT.

Highlight a block of text, then find the Font group on the Home tab. There, you can quickly change font style, size, color, and more.

4. Add an Inspiring Photo

Text-only slides aren't going to motivate anyone. Pre-built inspiring PowerPoint templates come with image placeholders built-in.

Photo inspiring PowerPoint templates — Update your photo placeholder to really bring inspiring PowerPoint templates to life.

Browse to a photo stored on your computer, then drag and drop it right onto the slide. With a placeholder, PPT will import and scale the photo to fit perfectly.

5. Build Drama With Animation

Animations help you add drama and inspire audiences with your motivational sides. Animate photos, text, and more. Click on any object, then go to the Animations tab.

Animated motivational presentation PPT — use the **Animations** tab to set a motion setting for your slide objects.

There are many windows with a variety of animated effects. Click on any of them to apply, and watch the animation instantly preview on your slide.

Where to Find the Best Inspiring PowerPoint Templates in 2021 (Envato Elements vs GraphicRiver)

Both Envato Elements and GraphicRiver offer high-quality, premium inspiring PowerPoint templates. But which marketplace is the best choice for you? And what are the benefits of each?

1. Key Benefits of Envato Elements

Envato Elements is a subscription-based service. It's got a pretty compelling offer. You get access to unlimited designs for a low monthly price.

Download as many PowerPoint templates as you need as well as stock photos, fonts, web templates, and more. Here are the best PowerPoint templates on Envato Market:

Inspirational PowerPoint templates on Envato Elements

2. Key Benefits Of GraphicRiver

GraphicRiver is the leading digital marketplace if you want to buy single-use templates. It's part of Envato Market, a suite of marketplaces that cater to various creative needs.

When you need a PowerPoint template to use right now, GraphicRiver is your best choice. Here are the best inspiring PowerPoint templates that are currently trending

Inspirational PowerPoint templates on GraphicRiver

Your Choice: What's Right For You?

If you're a digital marketer or a designer with many clients, Envato Elements gives you the most bang for your buck. Sign up for Envato Elements now.

But, if you need a single PowerPoint presentation template, head on over to GraphicRiver to download what you need.

Common PowerPoint Questions Answered (FAQ)

No matter how experienced you are with PowerPoint, there's always more to learn. Here are five common PowerPoint questions and their answers to help you learn more about it:

1. Can PowerPoint Be in Portrait Mode?

While it's common for presentations to be in landscape mode, there is no rule saying you can't choose a portrait mode. And we've got many different PowerPoint templates designed in portrait mode on Envato Elements.

2. Can PowerPoint Open Keynote Files?

Yes, it can. In fact, we've got a full tutorial on coverting Keynote to PowerPoint. Learn more here:

How to Convert Keynote to PowerPoint (PDF, & More) on Export
Learn how to convert Keynote to PowerPoint and other formats in this tutorial so that anyone can work with your presentation.

Andrew Childress
07 Nov 2018

Keynote

3. Can I Convert My PowerPoint to MP4?

Yes, you can. It's quite easy to do and we've got a tutorial that walks you through the process step-by-step.

How to Convert Your PowerPoint (PPT) Presentation Into Video
Learn how to convert PowerPoint (PPTX) presentation files to video files quickly. You can set slide timings, video quality, and export presentation videos.

Andrew Childress
16 Aug 2017

Microsoft PowerPoint

4. How Do I Print PowerPoint Presentations?

Printing your PowerPoint presentation allows you to hand out slides to your audience. But, before you go printing it out, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. This article walks you through the process of preparing your presentation and printing it out:

How to Print Your PowerPoint Slides (The Complete Guide)
Go from on-screen to printed copies with the complete guide to printing your PowerPoint presentation. Learn how to print slides, notes, handouts, and PDFs.

Andrew Childress
04 Oct 2017

Microsoft PowerPoint

5. How Do I Add Voice Over to PowerPoint Presentations?

Adding narration is great if your audience isn't in the same room as you. Luckily, PowerPoint has built-in tools for recording narration. In this tutorial, we'll walk you through the process:

How to Record Narration in a PowerPoint Presentation
Learn how to add voiceover and annotations to your PowerPoint presentation. Narrate your slides using audio recording best practices and quick workflows.

Andrew Childress
11 Sep 2017

Microsoft PowerPoint

What Makes a Great PowerPoint Presentation?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a great PowerPoint presentation and a presentation that's just so-so?

Great presentations have some common characteristics. Learn what these characteristics are. Then, add them to your own presentations to create a more interesting slideshow. Here are some of the factors that most great presentations share:

great cover image
interesting topic
compelling story
clear and interesting slide design
targeted to the intended audience
meets marketing goal

For a more detailed discussion of these characteristics, review this article:

SlideShare

18+ Best PowerPoint SlideShare Presentation Examples (For 2019)

Laura Spencer

Another good way to learn about great presentations is by example. Excellent PowerPoint slideshows and their slide design gives you the necessary slides inspiration.

10+ SlideShare Examples of Great PowerPoint Presentation Design

To see some complete examples of successful PowerPoint presentations, SlideShare is a good place to look. SlideShare allows users to share slide presentations online. To learn more about SlideShare, study this tutorial:

Presentations

What Is SlideShare? +How to Get Started Using It Quickly

Laura Spencer

Here are some of the best SlideShare presentations that use the principles of good presentation design. Each of these successful slideshows has over 100,000 page views.

Here's the list:

1. How Google Works

Unique imagery and creative slide design make this informative slideshow stand out. It was created by Eric Schmidt, the former Executive Chairman at Google. Notice how the uncluttered slide design complements the clever illustrations.

2. Social Media and Marketing Evolution or Revolution

I just can't stop staring at the cover slide of this presentation from digital marketer, Alex Wong. And that's the intent, of course. An arresting cover design will make a reader stop and wonder what's inside.

3. The Magic to Think Big

Senior executive and author Andreas von der Heydt knows how to think big and proves it in this engaging PowerPoint presentation. The presentation lists some basic principles. It illustrates each one with creative and eye-catching images.

4. 10 Best Practices of a Best Company to Work For

O.C. Tanner designs employee recognition programs. So, this slideshow presentation on what makes a company good to work for fits well with their corporate mission. It doesn't hurt that they use a simple design here.

5. Dispatches From The New Economy: The Five Faces Of The On-Demand Economy

The cover slide of this PowerPoint presentation from Intuit is what catches the eye. It's got a simple, yet creative design that draws the viewer in. The theme of simple design carries across the entire presentation and helps convey the message.

6. Mobile Ate The World

Benedict Evans created this compelling presentation for venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz. It's the story here that grabs the audience. The simple phrase, "Mobile Ate The World," immediately captures the attention of the intended audience.

7. Productivity Facts Every Employee Should Know

A clean and consistent slide design ties this short presentation together. The staffing firm Robert Half created the presentation. Each slide contains an image and a phrase. The productivity facts described in the title are laid out clearly to make this even more audience friendly.

8. IQ Work Hacks Productivity

What business doesn't want more productive workers? The answer: all businesses want more productive workers. That focus helps this presentation target its audience. The human resource specialist from the Interquest Group created this presentation.

9. 2021 Social Media Trends Report

The consistent use of color in the slide design helps this slideshow to stand out. The international agency Ogilvy Consulting uses mostly red and white. The simple, data-focused slides create a professional look that works.

10. How to Embrace Those Inevitable Awkward Moments

This funny, relatable SlideShare shows how to get past life's awkward moments. The University of Southern Queensland targets first-yeFar university students and young professionals with this presentation This helpful guide uses images and a "degree of awkwardness" meter to make it engaging.

11. How to Become a Thought Leader in Your Niche

Here's another example of just how well tailoring your presentation to your target audience works. Blogger Leslie Samuel is the creative force behind BecomeABlogger. Naturally that audience is interested in thought leadership.

5 Quick Tips for More Inspiring PowerPoint Slide Designs in 2021

Inspiring PowerPoint templates help you build motivational decks fast. But to inspire your audience every time, you should embrace these five quick tips. They're sure to help you impress.

1. Focus on Memorable Messages

Motivational slides won't work without a memorable message. That means focusing on big, compelling ideas.

Memorable motivational slides — Inspire audiences with motivational slides like these.

Part of this means realizing less can be more: cluttered slides won't inspire your audience. Keep things clear, concise, and easy to understand.

2. Build in Background Music

Music adds interest and keeps your audience focused. Inspiring tunes are also memorable, helping ensure your content is remembered. PowerPoint makes it easy to add background music. If you need music, Envato Elements has a huge library for your motivational slides.

Learn to add music to your motivational presentation PPT in just 60 seconds here:

Microsoft PowerPoint

How to Add Music to PowerPoint in 60 Seconds

Andrew Childress

3. Use Plenty of Illustrations

Images add style to motivational slides. When you use inspiring PowerPoint templates, you'll find many image layouts built-in.

Illustrated inspiring PowerPoint templates — Inspiring PowerPoint templates like Velgo have plenty of room for illustrations.

These help you deliver new inspiration with little effort. Audiences will thank you.

4. Illustrate With Inspiring Infographics

Infographics help illustrate your ideas. Build inspiration with creative infographics on your slides. By making complex ideas simple, they'll inspire your audience to succeed. Plus, they're very easy to make.

Get started creating infographics of your own with our full tutorial:

Microsoft PowerPoint

How to Quickly Make Edits to Infographic PowerPoint Templates

Andrew Childress

5. End With a Strong Closing Slide

First impressions are key—but so are final impressions. Always close on a high note to motivate an audience. You might want to recap what you've talked about in your motivational presentation PPT.

Inspiring motivational slides — A motivational presentation PPT like this helps you deliver a strong close every time.

Or perhaps you want to add a quote or anecdote, to make people smile. Either way, beautiful motivational slides ensure your message won't be forgotten.

5 Inspirational PowerPoint Design Trends for 2021

To nail PowerPoint design for inspiration presentations in 2021, you should know the latest trends. Not only will they improve the look of your presentation, but they'll engage your audience more. Here are five trends for a motivational PowerPoint presentation you should use:

1. Images Over Text

You may have many inspirational topics for your PowerPoint presentation, but you shouldn't use just text for all of them. Show, don't tell your audience. Add photos, embed videos, and create infographics for your presentation about inspiration.

Adventurous Presentation Design Inspiration — Feel Adventurous with a motivational PowerPoint presentation with this template.

2. Interactive Design

This is a design and writing trend you should follow. The best way to hook your audience is by making them feel involved. The best slides for inspiration let viewers ask questions.

3. Bold Typography

Large, bold typography is a trend that's picked up a lot of steam in 2021. Don't settle for default font options. Find custom typefaces that add to the mood of your inspirational PPT. Here are some resources that can help you find a font you can use:

4. Vibrant, Trendy Colors

Pastels are still a popular choice for PowerPoint presentations. But if you want to inspire and motivate, follow this trend of using vibrant colors. They're a great complement for your motivational PowerPoint presentation. They can make your audience feel empowered.

Apaya PowerPoint Design Inspiration — Apaya is a bold, inspirational PPT template that uses vibrant colors.

5. Cool Animations and Transitions

Great motivational PowerPoints tell a story for their audience. Make your presentation design and writing flow better by using transitions. For example, you can use the new Morph transition, as explained by Microsoft Office. With it, you can connect presentation topics through movement.

Learn more about PowerPoint animations and transitions from Envato Tuts+:

Microsoft PowerPoint

How to Make Animated PowerPoint Presentations With PPT Templates

Andrew Childress

More Options for Inspiring PowerPoint Templates

So far, you've seen some of our favorite motivational presentation PPT designs. We're passionate about keeping readers advised of the latest and greatest motivational slides in action.

We keep our selection of the most inspiring PowerPoint templates up-to-date in our guide, Microsoft PowerPoint Templates (Ultimate Guide to the Best PPT.)

Check out even more options for motivational presentation PPT designs in our articles below. You're sure to see options for motivational slides in other templates.

Learn More About PowerPoint Design

Learn more about how to use PowerPoint to create your presentation in our PowerPoint tutorials. Find even more design inspiration for your PowerPoint presentation in our guide featuring the best PPT templates or in these articles:

Download Our Free PDF eBook on Making Great Presentations

Don't forget to download our free eBook, The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations. It'll help you write, design, and deliver the perfect presentation. (It's available for FREE with the Tuts+ Business Newsletter.)

Use These PowerPoint Design Examples to Create Your Own Presentation

If you need to create a PowerPoint presentation, you can find slides inspiration from looking at PowerPoint presentation examples. You've learned the characteristics that make a good PowerPoint presentation. We've also just examined over 25 PowerPoint examples for your inspiration. Why not download a PowerPoint template from Envato Elements or GraphicRiver and start your motivational PowerPoint presentation today?

Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Andrew Childress and Nathan Umoh. Nathan is a staff writer with Envato Tuts+. Andrew is a freelance instructor for Envato Tuts+.

Cartoon Fundamentals: How to Draw a Cartoon Face Correctly

Posted: 13 Jun 2021 02:37 AM PDT

In this easy cartoon drawing tutorial, you'll learn how to draw cartoon characters. A good cartoonist is one who can extract the main details of an object or a human being and represent them with simple shapes. The goal is that a child can recognize the drawing and be attracted to what they're looking at.

Children are the main audience for cartoons. Masters like Walt Disney, Hanna & Barbera, Chuck Jones, Jim Henson, Walter Lantz and many others have enchanted the world with their magical and eternal characters.

Learn how to draw a cartoon person in this cartoon drawing tutorial. — Learn how to draw a cartoon person and practice different facial expressions.

My role here is to help you understand the proper way to assemble this puzzle. I'll teach you how to draw characters from the techniques presented. I guarantee you'll be shocked at how easy it is to create a cartoon expression that children (and adults) will adore!

To get some inspiration, have a look at the hundreds of character designs on Envato Elements. Or for a shortcut, try a character creation kit!

What You Will Learn in This Cartoon Drawing Tutorial

Basics of human perception
How to draw cartoon characters
How to draw a cartoon face
How to draw cartoon hair
How to draw characters with different facial expressions
How to draw characters with different ethnicities
Easy cartoon drawing exercises

Understanding Human Perception

Before jumping into cartoon face drawing, we'll talk about the basics of human perception. Human beings have a very interesting feature: we can synthesize the details that make up a structure or an object in very complex ways into very basic and simple ones. In this way, we can represent any type of thing through a few curves and geometric shapes.

Can you tell me if the two images below represent the same object?

Weird as it may seem, you can look at the two pictures and say "it's a car".

What happens is that, unlike artists, most people can't tell from memory all the details that make up a car, a dog, or even a child. So they start to associate very basic and primitive shapes to the specific characteristics of each object. How many children of 4, 5, or 6 years old came from school with a drawing of two circles and some toothpicks on a piece of paper and said: "That's mommy and daddy!"?

1. How to Draw a Cartoon Face

Let's start with cartoon face drawing. The basic cartoon shape is a circle. Circle Is All You Need (besides Love, of course). It's from the circle that you define the basic proportions of your character's head.

Once the circle is ready, it's time to trace the face axis. Draw a vertical and horizontal line intersecting at the center, like in the image below:

How to Draw Cartoon Eyes: Step 1

Let's learn how to draw cartoon eyes. To make the eyes, draw an oval shape with a slight tilt to the side at the top. Repeat on the opposite side. It is important to leave a gap between them of approximately the same size as an eye. As we are in the drafting phase, you can draw another eye in the center to serve as a measure.

Step 2

At the top of the circle, slightly thicken the trait that will be the eyelashes of our character. Place the eyebrows a bit above the eyelashes to create a sort of a surprised expression. The eyebrow form is free, and with practice you will adjust to your own style.

Draw both pupils directed to the center (this is a very effective tactic used by major cartoonists whose sole purpose is to make our characters look cuter).

Tip: To give more life and "realism" to our eyes, you can draw a small line below them to simulate a kind of wrinkle. This is another very interesting tactic that adds a special touch to our facial expressions.

Step 3

We've arrived at the most creative freedom of the whole course. Think of it this way: in cartoon style designs, the main structure of a face is the skull and the eyes of the character. It is at that stage where you define the identification with the external world, i.e. it's already clear to people that you're drawing a character.

Now that we come to the jaw, we will decide if we want a fat character or a thin one. They could be old, young, and so on. My character will be a young one. So let's design a proper jaw for him.

Step 4

When designing a nose being seen from the front, it's common not to use many details. If you draw only its tip, it is likely that already achieves a convincing effect. It is also very common to draw only one side of the nose, from the idea that this is the opposite side of the light.

Let's put the correct nose on our character.

Step 5

As our character is a child, we will make a cartoon mouth: something simple just to represent an expression of innocence.

Notice that when drawing a little child's mouth, the lips shouldn't be drawn! In cartoon style, children, regardless of gender, have quite simple mouths. A good and expressive trace already does the job.

Step 6

The ears are seen from the front side view (because our character is facing the camera), so that the internal cavities will not appear. Then we will do just a simple shape using some basic perspective (more on that later).

Step 7

The shape of our skull is already defined by the circle we did at the beginning, right? So we just need a very simple and childish haircut to give life to our boy. Let's do it now.

How to Draw Cartoon Hair! Help!

Easy, easy... there's nothing to fear. You don't need to be a stylist or fashion designer to make perfect hair. There isn't a right way to draw hair, so you'll need to try until you create the ideal haircut you want. Just remember that the hair is responsible for defining the personality of our characters. Oddly enough, the hair can express age, rebellion, conservatism... incredible, isn't it? Speaking of which... what is your hairstyle?! Oh, never mind...

An accurate and fast way of drawing cartoon hair is to seek photo references on the web! I do this all the time: grab a fashion magazine or try a Google search. After finding the ideal style, put the image as a reference next to your drawing board (or tablet) and start making a simplified cartoon version of it.

Well, it seems we've completed our character successfully! Congratulations!

Now let's play with cartoon drawing ideas and create a completely different character with the same template we used for little Tommy (yes, I created a name for him).

2. How to Draw an Older Character

Step 1

Here are some more cool cartoon characters to draw. Older characters can be easy cartoon drawings. As usual, let's start with the eyes. This time we will draw faster, adding wrinkles, eyebrows, and the eye pupils.

Notice that we haven't changed a lot; we just expanded the eyebrow a bit. Older men have thicker eyebrows, occupying more space on the forehead. Eyelashes make no difference in men; they are always drawn in the same way.

Step 2

We will increase our chin a bit this time. Try something like this. Our character already has a different "look"! This is very good. We will proceed by choosing the ideal nose for him.

Step 3

Following what we did before, let's create the nose. This time, I will make a completely different nose from before.

Notice that the ends of the nose are positioned very close to the bottom of the eyes. This is an effective technique to use when designing larger and wider noses. The idea is always to exaggerate to get a good result!

Speaking of overkill, let's eliminate the mouth of our character in favor of another artifact...

Step 4

I decided to use another technique now: instead of drawing the mouth, we'll simply draw a big mustache to create a better persona for our character.

Done! A big and exaggerated mustache for our old friend!

Step 5

Remember what I said about the hair helping to represent age and personality? Check it out.

We've just added some side hair and left him bald on top. Amazing how it creates a totally different look, isn't it? Also notice that I took the same ear from Tommy, our beloved boy. That's the advantage of working on templates. That's the magic of cartoon!

3. How to Draw a Female Character

Let's try some more easy cartoon drawings. I don't know... I think Tommy needs a sister! He's been very lonely out there. Let's create a sister for him now, as if by magic:

Hey!!! How did you do that so fast? Very simple... Women tend to have more delicate facial structures. Here's a female cartoon face drawing step-by-step guide:

Thin eyebrows
Larger and expressive eyelashes
Thinner chin
Small nose with fewer details
Long hair (use a real reference and choose any style you want)

That's it. These are all the changes you need to make. Besides that, I took everything I could from Tommy, her brother. After all, they are siblings, right?

When you start to feel more comfortable, you can slowly create some more "realistic" details for your characters. Such as larger pupils...

4. How to Draw Characters With Different Facial Expressions

When thinking about cartoon characters to draw, emotions and facial expressions should come to mind. We're now ready to add more emotions to our dear Lucy (yes, that's her name). Let's draw her after receiving the news that the school holidays have come to an end...

Again, we achieve something totally different just by adding two things: the tears and the new shape of her mouth! Isn't it amazing?!

Now let's get back to Tommy and ask him what he thinks about it:

Notice that I've totally changed his expression just by following the steps below:

Making one eyebrow lower than the other
Cutting the eyes in half with the eyelashes
Adding a smile (one side is higher, following the eyebrow)
Moving up the eye pupils to stay under the eyelashes

And that's it! We got the expected result with just these few changes. The hair, ears, nose, chin, and the circular shape of the eyes are the same! Simple as that!

5. How to Draw a Profile View

Looking for more easy cartoon characters to draw? Here are some more cartoon drawing ideas. Draw the template below again. Now we'll learn how to make Tommy and Lucy from the profile view:

We will fit the face of both now:

Be aware of the main differences in structure when comparing them side by side. Pay attention to these details when drawing male and female characters:

Tommy's eyebrow is thicker.
Lucy's chin is slightly projected in front of the face.
Lucy's nose is thinner and pointed.
Lucy has big, feminine eyelashes.

6. Play With Angles in Cartoon Face Drawing

Eyes, nose, mouth, ears... all the details that make up the face change their shape when viewed from different angles. It's very common to see cartoon characters looking in every possible direction with different camera angles, because they will need to react to situations and objects around them. This helps bring them more to life!

Easy Cartoon Drawing Exercises

Now we will put into practice everything we have learned so far... Below you'll find a basic cartoon face drawing template (only circles and directional guides) where we can practice our drawing skills in different positions:

Let's mark the eyes in different directions for each one of the circles...

Now, let's add some random jaws, with different sizes and shapes...

It's up to you now. There are so many easy cartoon characters to draw. I guess you can walk alone and explore the techniques I gave to you to complete the drawings. Remember that cartoon face drawing has two premises:

Simplify the face details in rounded shapes.
Exaggerate the facial expressions.

Once you've managed to sketch the direction of the eyes and have chosen the proper chins, try to use your creativity to build however many faces you want. You can be sure that, if you practice at least ten minutes per day with the techniques presented here, drawing cartoon faces will be as natural to you as breathing.

Let's summarize! To reinforce what I said throughout the tutorial, let's remember the proper steps for how to draw a cartoon face:

Make a circle that will represent the skull of our character.
Set the direction in which your character will be looking and draw the guidelines.
Make the outline of the eyes in an oval shape.
Draw the eye pupils (make them point to the nose, if you want a cute character). Don't forget the eyelashes.
Choose the correct eyebrow, depending on the age and gender of your character.
Draw an appropriate jaw.
Draw simplified ears.
Search haircut styles in Google (or a magazine) and use them as a reference for your sketch.
Celebrate!

Below is my version:

7. How to Draw characters With Different Ethnicities

We are nearing the end of our cartoon face drawing tutorial. As a last tip, I would encourage you to continue experimenting with facial expressions and, whenever possible, to invest more in studies of the face. Learn how the eyes and mouth behave in different situations. Take a look at different ethnicities and the key features.

Whenever possible, try to give a little more realism to your characters. Observe the behavior of people in real life. Look at photos, study the style of your favorite artist, or search for inspiration on the Internet. It's when we look to real life that we can extract quality information for our drawings. But remember: observing the real world does not mean copying! You want your character to be unique and not a copy of reality, right?

You've Learned How to Draw a Cartoon Face!

Now you know the basic techniques used by the best cartoon artists around the world. There is plenty more to come, and this is just a small fraction of the cartoon drawing tutorials I'll be presenting to you. Up next, we're going to dig deeper into cartoon expressions.

Take what you learn here and work on your first characters. You can earn a nice side income selling your character designs on GraphicRiver as you ramp up your skills. Continue to grow your artistic skills, and you can earn a full-time income as a cartoonist.

Discover More Cartoon Drawing Ideas and Tutorials

Now you know how to draw cartoon characters. I hope you liked this tutorial. Do you want to find more easy cartoon characters to draw? Would you like to learn more about drawing? Here are some cool tutorials and resources:

Remember to visit our complete guide: Learn How To Draw.