In this lesson, let's tackle some easy-to-draw basketball cartoons, or more specifically – a ball and a jersey.

In the example below, you can tell I decided to go with an 'old-schoolish' Michael Jordan jersey.

For your jersey, you might want to draw something a little more up-to-date.

And in doing so, you'll need to adjust the lines that compose your drawing accordingly… broader shoulders, a v-neck as opposed the crew-look, etc.

Alright, here we go…

First Step – Map Out Your Basketball Cartoons

Using two shapes, a circle and a rectangle – map out your basketball cartoons similar to how I've done on the left. Feel free to move things around they way you like.

A simple framework of shapes for drawing basketball cartoons.

With respect to the ball, it's really quite simple if you position the lines going across it horizontally.

As soon as the ball changes position however, just like the lines on a tennis ball or baseball… things will get a bit more complex.

With the jersey, the rectangle helps to 'pin it up' similar to how a showcased jersey would look behind the glass. This makes drawing it really easy as you can 'carve it right out' of the rectangular framework.

Oh – one more thing. It's a good idea to draw two horizontal lines (grey) to mark off the halfway points running vertically with respect to each shape. This helps reduce the amount of surface area you need to deal with, making 'eyeing out your drawing' a whole lot easier.

Onward!

Second Step – Draw Your Basketball and Jersey

OK – all set to begin. Great… here goes.

First thing, bring the main lines of your basketball out by going over the lines you've already drawn. As always, lightly sketched pencil lines do great for mapping out a framework.

They disappear easily with a good eraser, or by simply going over them in a black marker first.

In drawing a halfway point on your rectangle, you've already eliminated the lower half of your jersey. And this makes drawing the top part all the more easy as you can better appreciate where and how the curved (or angled) parts of the top are drawn…

Drawing basketball cartoons using a rectangle for a framework. Simple drawing of basketball cartoons.

Second phase – finish things off with a few more lines.

For the ball, simply 'mirror' two top and bottom curved lines. For the jersey, draw the rest using your rectangle to help. Notice how my lines are kind of 'squiggly'… gives it more of a clothing-like look.

But then again, a straight rigid look who do just as nicely.

In one final step, go ahead and customize your basketball and jersey with the appropriate logo, number, name, and any other details you think will work.

And that's it! Simple basketball cartoons drawing lesson complete!

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