How to Draw a Cartoon Volcano
Witness (while drawing!) this spectacular event... the eruption of a cartoon volcano, in a picturesque valley - in Costa Rica... with a toucan!
This lesson was tons of fun to create - the color combinations really made all the difference toward the end. I think that much the same with the previous two landscape lessons - the planning ahead of time will make all the difference in the world, and really help to establish a visual perspective before-hand - BEFORE you lay down the lines.
Let the eruption begin!
First Step - It's a Giant Triangle!? Nope - it's a Volcano!
Alright - in beginning this lesson, go ahead and first - map out a few horizontal lines on the page or screen in front of you. The top line will help to point out the peak of the mountain, and the bottom one... will help with the tree line - if you so choose to go this route.
A little planning in action...
Up close and personal - we have two blue circles - thosesubjects that are so close to our eyes (and us!) - that even their lines appear to be (soon enough) thicker. Bottom-left will be a fern plant... and the right - a toucan!
Which reminds me!
The steps for drawing a toucan can be found here. But then again - you may want to include a monkey or something else... and I encourage this. :-)
The other lines represent: Orange - a thick smoke plume, and Green - the volcano!
Second Step - How to Draw a Cartoon Volcano
Beginning at the bottom left - go ahead and sketch in the first branch of the tropical fern plant. Once you've got one in place, add a couple more. After this, move on to the toucan (see the lesson if it helps...) and then - take it from there!
Step by step by step... here's how this picturesque view takes shape...
Phew! That was a lot of work. Many little lines - carefully placed to bring forward the picture at hand.
How did you make out? You probably noticed... I used a similar technique for both the tree tops and the clouds. It's the color that makes the difference. Of course though... coming up with your own unique look is even more fun.
At this stage then, let's see how a simple straight-forward coloring job looks...
And then - to make things look even better... here's how the exact same drawing lookswith the addition of some gradients...
And there you have it - quite the nice-looking scene!
Congratulations on an excellent job - and I'll see ya real soon.
Recommended Drawing Resources
To further your learning and improvement, check out the following resources...
- Learn how to draw caricatures with Graeme Biddle.
- Discover how to use photoshop in a day. Makes everything so much simpler.
- Check out Chad Baldwin's digital painting techniques.
- Draw cars just like the pros, the pro being Tim Rugendyke.
- Want to learn painting? Look no further than Bob Davies' free watercolor secrets ebook.
Click here to return from Cartoon Volcano to Landscape Drawing Lessons
