How to Draw A Cartoon Leprechaun with a fun look

In this simple tutorial, you will learn how to draw a cartoon leprechaun! The leprechaun is a fairy that can be found in the Irish folklore (so yes, it does explain why this one is created using mostly the green color!). Since this creature is usually depicted as being as small as a child, it's important to keep proportions accordingly (like sketching big feet, a small body and a large head!)

To make sure that your character will look like a real leprechaun (well, a real version of this imaginary creature!), just make sure that you are drawing the hat, the belt and a large beard. Ready? Let's see how we can illustrate this character properly. :)

drawing a few simple rectangles to form the head and body

First, you can draw two simple shapes made from curved lines to create the head and the body. A third shape is added below to illustrate the legs of the leprechaun. Notice how the legs are slightly smaller than the body and head.

adding more body parts and accessories

Next, draw a large square on top of the head to represent the hat. The shape of this one will be polished later. On both sides of the body, create the arms using thin rectangles also made from curved lines. Finally, short oval shapes are needed to create the feet of the character.

polishing details using more precise lines

Use simple curved lines to polish the hat found on top of the head. You can also draw hands using more short curved lines as shown below. Around the waist of the cartoon leprechaun, you can draw a large belt made from additional rectangles.

working on the face and the hat

Inside the head, draw the eyes, the nose and the mouth. Above the eyes, you can use short lines to form the eyebrows. The beard is done using more curved lines. For the ears, small circles are sketched on both sides of the head. Another belt is drawn inside the hat.

bringing the cartoon leprechaun to life using plain colors

You can now use plain colors to bring this adorable character to life. First, use a bright green color for the hat and the suit. Both belt are colored in black and brown. The beard can be orange and the shoes brown. Nice work! This cartoon leprechaun looks amazing, but we can make it a little bit better.

let's add gradients to complete this drawing lesson

To add a small level of realism to this illustration, you can also add some gradients inside most shapes. By doing so, you will create a character with more depth and volume. For example, notice how the short is darker on the left side of the character compared to the right side.

Excellent! I hope you had fun working with this adorable cartoon creature. Remember to practice often and don't hesitate to try more cute leprechauns below. Enjoy! :)