Now we have the basic skills to find and draw gesture—in animals, trees and humans.  We can also use this skill to draw cartoons and multitudes of characters!  I drew the leprechaun above for Zobelia the writer elf.  I began with a gesture drawing, just as I do for any figure I am observing.

Even a cartooned cephalopod has gesture!  Simply find the gesture and overall movement, then breakdown the shapes to draw the character.  (The illustrator elf, Valkiri, says more about simple shapes in this tip:  how-to-draw-a-horse.)