StretchLearn Course

Draw Cartoon Characters That Live on the Page

Go from simple shapes to a turnaround, expression sheet, and inked comic strip you can draw again and again.

Beginner10 hr 5 minSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

This beginner course teaches the durable mechanics behind appealing cartooning rather than a single house style. Through shape-based construction, the line of action, deliberate exaggeration, and the classic principles of squash and stretch, you will build a character you can turn, pose, and emote convincingly. You will finish able to draw a full turnaround and expression sheet, lay out a three-panel strip, and ink it cleanly in Procreate or Clip Studio Paint.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Construct cartoon characters from simplified shapes, beans, and the line of action

Exaggerate proportion and pose using squash and stretch without breaking appeal

Draw a four-view character turnaround that stays on-model across angles

Build an expression sheet that maps emotion through eyebrows, mouth, and shape change

Lay out a readable three-panel comic strip with clear beats and lettering space

Ink line art digitally with weighted, tapered strokes in Procreate or Clip Studio Paint

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: Shapes, Construction, and the Line of Action

Build the foundation of all cartooning: simplifying anything into shapes, constructing in three dimensions, and finding the line of action that gives a pose life.

3 lessons

Everything Is Circles, Squares, and TrianglesContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Constructing in 3D With CenterlinesContent · 50 min

LMS Access

The Line of ActionContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Exaggeration, Squash, and Stretch

Learn the principles that separate a cartoon from a stiff drawing: pushing proportions for appeal and using squash and stretch to add weight, flexibility, and life.

3 lessons

Exaggeration With IntentContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Squash and StretchContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Appeal, Silhouette, and Shape ContrastContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Turnarounds and Expression Sheets

Turn a single drawing into a fully designed, reusable character by building a model sheet: a multi-view turnaround and an expression sheet that keeps the character consistent.

3 lessons

The Character TurnaroundContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Expression Sheets and the Mechanics of EmotionContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Hands, Poses, and Staying On-ModelContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Comic Strip Layout and Digital Inking

Bring your character into finished work: lay out a readable comic strip with clear beats and lettering, then ink it cleanly with weighted line in Procreate or Clip Studio Paint.

3 lessons

Laying Out a Comic StripContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Digital Inking Setup and Line WeightContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Clean Inking Technique and FinishingContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

cartooningcharacter designline of actionsquash and stretchturnaround sheetexpression sheetcomic strip layoutdigital inking