How to Draw a Cartoon Orc

By following the steps in this tutorial, you will learn how to draw a cartoon orc and create a simple fantasy character.

We have already mentioned many times that drawing cartoon characters has its own set of characteristics. Creating fantasy characters also comes with its own specifics.

In this tutorial, we combine these two directions and show how to draw a cartoon orc, as well as how to customize and make your characters unique.

How to draw a cartoon orc step by step

Step 1: Block in the head of the fantasy character

Orcs vary in appearance across different universes, but they are generally depicted with relatively small heads and large bodies. Start with the head by sketching it as a sphere in the upper part of the page, and add symmetry guidelines: a horizontal line for the eyes and a vertical line dividing the head into two halves.

Step 2: Draw the torso of the cartoon orc

Below, sketch a large rectangular form – or a box if thinking in three dimensions – to represent the torso. At this stage, you can already indicate the tilt and rotation of the body, since the angle between the head and torso largely determines the overall feel of the drawing.

Step 3: Sketch the legs of the cartoon character

At the bottom, under the torso, block in the legs using simple shapes. Draw the knees of the cartoon orc as spheres and the feet with rough outlines. To create a cartoon effect, apply exaggeration – for example, by making the torso large and the legs relatively short.

Step 4: Sketch the arm structure

At the top on both sides, indicate the shoulders as spheres, then sketch the upper and lower arms with light lines. Add large, powerful hands at the ends. These oversized, disproportionate hands enhance the exaggeration and make the cartoon orc appear both stronger and slightly clumsy.

Step 5: Draw the face of the cartoon orc

First draw the outlines of the frowning cartoon eyebrows as horizontal lines with small wrinkles near the bridge of the nose, then place the eyes of the orc beneath them as simple semicircles. Between the eyes, draw a small, slightly raised nose, and below that a wide mouth with tusks protruding from the sides.

Step 6: Outline the hair and head details

On the side, draw a cartoon ear of the orc that is pointed at the top, and above the head add a small bundle of hair tied with a piece of cloth at the base. Then define the jaw, giving it a strong and massive appearance. This combination of a powerful jaw, narrowed eyes, and exaggerated facial features creates the characteristic cartoon yet fantasy look of an orc.

Step 7: Clean the head of the cartoon orc

Extra construction lines can make your cartoon orc drawing look messy, so use an eraser to carefully remove them while refining and improving the details and adding new ones. For example, you can add wrinkles, cheekbone outlines, or other elements. At this stage, you can also include accessories such as nose or ear rings, an eye patch, and so on.

Step 8: Sketch the orc’s upper clothing

Orcs in fantasy and cartoons often wear characteristic clothing that is usually minimalistic, rough, and without refinement. You can sketch shoulder pads, a belt, and straps holding everything together. These elements can be replaced with others, such as a metal chest plate or cuirass.

Step 9: Sketch the boots and bracers

Add clothing elements to the lower part, but first indicate bracers on the wrists. On the legs, sketch the outlines of footwear, again avoiding too many small details. Orcs are often barefoot or wear rough, crudely made boots with fur inserts.

Step 10: Refine the torso and arms

Now remove the remaining construction lines on the torso and arms, outlining these parts and gradually refining the details and elements. Work alternately on different areas of the upper body, compare them with each other, and step back from the drawing so you do not focus too much on one spot.

Step 11: Refine the legs of the cartoon orc

Remove the construction lines on the lower body, refine the legs, and outline the elements. Indicate the knees and optionally add muscle definition if you want a slightly more detailed character. Check the proportions of both legs and the details on them.

Step 12: Outline the orc with bold lines

Finally, take a darker pencil, pen, or any tool capable of producing strong, dark lines and outline your cartoon orc. Remember that you can vary line weight – for example, making the lower edges of forms thicker than the upper ones, and rendering important elements darker and more contrasted than secondary ones. This adds a sense of volume and makes the drawing more visually engaging.

Cartoon orc drawing tips and practice

The basic methods of cartoon drawing and fantasy character creation, when combined, can produce interesting and distinctive characters.

You have likely seen such characters in various cartoons, illustrations, fairy tales, and video games.

The methods and steps shown in this cartoon orc drawing tutorial can be applied to create more unique characters – for example, by adding a weapon to the orc’s hands.

For additional practice, try drawing several orcs with different weapons in their hands, and experiment with their clothing by adding or removing elements of armor.

You can also use the same methods to draw a cartoon knight with similar characteristics, but dressed in metal armor or chainmail.

These same approaches, applied from a slightly different angle, were also used in our cartoon wizard drawing tutorial.

You can explore those tutorials as well to learn more about creating simple cartoon-style mythical characters.