Okay so this is just a general guide as to how I make them. Obviously it's going to help if you can draw, and have some idea of how you want your character to look.

I'm in the process of making a few other more detailed guides to hair, facial expression, clothes, etc. I have a general shading one that is almost finished as well. Anyway, hope this helps a bit.

Looks like a good guide so far.
I've always wondered how you did it.

You make it seem so much easier than it really is.

But at least now those that are more interested in it will be able to attempt to become a Dintywannabe

I'm not very good at explaining things, any questions feel free to ask me via pm or msn.

It really is that easy, it just takes practice. Just simple shapes on top of each other.

the shading will be tricky i'm guessing, i've been studying your work to try and see if i could do it and i got the the shading and screwed up every one of my feeble attempts

i'm sooo glad you're making this guide dinty!

Well, I was actually starting on my first cartoon today since I was bored of doing a pixel that I'm working on. Bad thing is I don't have PS so I'm using another program that is not as great as PS or Gimp. I'm just working with a tool that AA's my lines and that's all I'm doing for it. But I'll be looking at your guide to hopefully help me along the way. Nice guide so far, can't wait to see it finished.

Mmmm I think it's done for now. Dunno what else to add to it really.

Wahey, your shading is definately on the right track. What tool did you use for your lines? Try looking at a picture of someone while you draw. That will help with your proportions.

yay

I am just noticing this now

Now I have something to go off of besides that other little tut I saw in your deviantart favs

Aside form doing a WIP of a picture I drew... (posted it in my lil anime idea topic, Gem is the one I'm doing the lineart on at the moment...) I'm going to find shading hard regardless... I figured you made tons of layers when it came to the drawing part, it looked like that way so...

Quick question, what tools do you use when drawing? so far you said you used the round marquee tool for the head, and the polygonal lasso tool for the shading but never said what you use for making the body and general shapes

I use the Pen tool a lot since I render pictures so I'm comfortable with it... But thus far has proved better used by me when I am actually doing a near trace if not complete trace... And the hands are always annoying as hell even when tracing so...

Tools used in making the shapes please?

Dinty. Freaking awesome.
I have an idea of what to add though. Maybe a different tut altogether.
How do you make your backgrounds, and make them so detailed?
I saw some you made of the wilderness, and barrows and stuff and the walls and trees and all that look amazing

I use the poly-lasso for just about everything. If you're comfortable with the pen tool, go ahead and use that. It's much easier to get smooth lines that way is what I'm told. I've been using the lasso so long I'm set in my ways.

Hands are just tricky in general. I struggle with drawing hands even with a pencil and paper.

As for background.......-sigh-. Backgrounds I hate doing. I much prefer making the people. For my sigs I usually do pretty simple ones. The colors I use is what makes them stand out. I use abstract brushes for texture on the ground and trees. Just use different shades of the same colors to add some depth. The shadows on the ground I do the same way as the shading on the bodies. Hope that helps. Yeah but it's all about color choices. Colors can set the tone for the whole picture, just keep that in mind.

Cool.

I guess there's no secret trick to your method.

Nope! Not at all lol. Just my cutsey-poo style of drawing I guess. *shrugs* The process is really simple.

Your one secret is the thing that makes it all so cute. The eyes. I've tried and tried but I cannot seem to manufacture the watery glow of the eyes you make in your cartoons. I was going to ask you how you do it but then they'd lose the magic in my eyes... I think, I don't know whether I want to know or not.

Hmmm the eyes are tricky to explain because I generally do them differently each time. Just depends on the character and how I want them to look. I'm thinking of doing some other quicky guides. One each for hair, eyes, clothing etc.

Though it would be more of a drawing guide than anything. So...not sure how helpful that would be really.

Is it possible to make these in paint?

~Weekend Dude~

Since MS Paint does not have a layers feature, or the right tools, Not well. I'm sure with enough time put in you could imitate the style. But it wouldn't be easy.

Dang that blows,
I'd really like to try and make one if it was possible

~Weekend Dude~

You can, but it would take up a lot more of your time. Layers are EVER so helpful, as well as being able to shade quickly and with little worry of messing up other sections of your picture.

So basically you'd be making something like a cartoon-style pixel.
I don't know if you remember when I used to make pixels, but they were similar to the way I make cartoons. I never could spend much time on them and the result was rough and cartoony without amazing attention to shading and detail like true pixel artists would do.
Made in paint and done the same way one would start a pixel I suppose but I'd always get bored and just add a pretty simply background and call it a day.