How to Draw a Mushroom Character in Illustrator

Welcome to this delightful tutorial where you'll learn to create a charming mushroom character in Adobe Illustrator. Whether you're a beginner or are looking to enhance your skills, this tutorial will show you how to make an adorable mushroom cartoon using basic shapes, effects, and essential Illustrator tools like the Reflection Tool, Warp Effects, and the Pencil Tool.

By the end, you'll have a cute, fully illustrated mushroom character and a new set of creative skills. For more inspiration, visit Envato Elements for additional mushroom drawings. Let's get started and bring your mushroom character to life! 

What You'll Learn in the Mushroom Vector Art Tutorial

• How to create an illustrated mushroom
• How to use the Gradient panel
• How to use basic shapes in Illustrator
• How to draw a mushroom in Illustrator
• How to use the Reflection Tool
• How to use Warp Effects
• How to use the Pencil Tool
• How to create a mushroom cartoon character
• How to move anchor points

1. How to Create the Head of the Mushroom Cartoon Character in Adobe Illustrator

Step 1 

After you create a new document in Adobe Illustrator (File > New…), we will make the head of the mushroom girl. Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and draw a pink ellipse. The fill color is R=255, G=204, B=237, with no stroke color. 

While keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Inflate… Then, enter the options you see below, and press OK.

After this, expand the shape (Object > Expand Appearance).

Step 2

Now, let’s make an eye for our character. Make the fill color a bit darker (R=239, G=168, B=217) and draw a new ellipse. 

Make a copy in front (Control-C, Control-F), change the fill color to white (R=255, G=255, B=255), and move this copy down a little. I made the stroke color on this ellipse black so that you can see it better, but you don’t actually need it. 

After that, take the Direct Selection Tool (A), select just the top anchor point of the white ellipse, and move just this anchor point down a bit. 

Change the fill color to R=116, G=114, B=178, and draw a circle, using the Ellipse Tool (L). This is the pupil of the eye. If you want to make an even circle, hold the Shift key while drawing the shape.

Change the fill color to white (R=255, G=255, B=255), and draw a tiny circle for the highlight of the eye. Now the eye is ready!

Group the whole eye to move it more easily: select it using the Selection Tool (V), right-click your mouse, and Group.

Step 3

Place the eye on the face of the mushroom cartoon character, on the left side of the face.

To create the second eye, you need to hold the Alt and Shift buttons together while moving the eye to the right. Holding the Alt button will create a copy, and Shift will move it in a straight line. Be sure the eyes are placed symmetrically.

Step 4

Now it's time to use the Pencil Tool (N) to draw the mouth. Take this tool, and on your left panel, press the Swap Fill and Stroke button (it looks like a two-ended arrow), or just press Shift-X. Now that you have no fill color, change the stroke color to R=239, G=168, B=217.

Then, look at the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke). Make the Weight 2 px and change Cap to Round Cap. 

Let me show you some more useful stuff here: double-click on the Pencil Tool (N), and the Pencil Tool Options window should appear. In the Fidelity section, move the slider all the way to the right, and then press OK. Now, your lines will be nice and smooth.

Finally, draw the mushroom girl’s mouth using the Pencil Tool (N). 

Once you like how the mouth looks, let’s draw the cheeks. Again, press the Swap Fill and Stroke button (Shift-X), which will change the stroke color into the fill color. Using the Ellipse Tool (L), draw a small ellipse under the left eye. 

After that, hold the Alt and Shift buttons and move this ellipse to the right, under the other eye. Be sure the mouth and cheeks are placed symmetrically.

Step 5

Next, we will draw the ears. Click on the mushroom girl’s head so that you have the same fill color. Using the Ellipse Tool (L), create a small circle on the left side of the head, no higher than the cheeks.

To make this ellipse look more like an ear, we want to add some details. Click on the girl’s mouth so you will have the same stroke color and no fill color. After that, take the Pencil Tool (N) and make the stroke 1 px Weight on the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke).

Draw an arc on this new ellipse like the one in the image below. It’s our mushroom cartoon character’s ear. Group it (right-click > Group).

To create another ear, select the first one, take the Reflection Tool (O), and while holding the Alt button, click between the mushroom girl’s eyes. A new pop-up window will appear, called Reflect. You want to choose Axis: Vertical, Angle: 90 degrees, and press Copy. 

After you've created another ear, be sure to place it symmetrically.

Step 6

Lastly, for our mushroom character, we want a neck. Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a thin rectangle under the head.

2. How to Create the Body of the Mushroom Character in Adobe Illustrator

Step 1

Start creating the body using the Rounded Rectangle Tool: create a rounded rectangle under the neck. 

Then, while keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Arc Lower… Enter the options you see in the image below, and press OK.

After that, you need to apply another effect. Go to Effect > Warp > Bulge… and enter the options you see in the image below. Then press OK.

Step 2

Now we need to make the mushroom girl’s arms. On your left panel, click on the Swap Fill and Stroke button, and you will have a pink stroke color and no fill color. On the Stroke panel, increase the stroke Weight up to 16 px, and check Cap: Round Cap. 

Take the Line Segment Tool (\) and draw a line from her shoulder. The black stroke you see in the image below is just for better visibility—you don’t need it. It’s the upper part of the girl’s arm.

Using the same stroke color and the same tool, draw the lower part of the arm. After that, add a small line for the girl’s hand.

Step 3

To finish the arm, we need to add her fingers. Decrease the stroke Weight to 3 px. Using the Line Segment Tool (\), create three fingers with two thin lines at a slight angle, so six small lines in total.

Group the whole arm (right-click > Group).

Step 4

Select the whole arm, take the Reflect Tool (O), and while holding the Alt key, click in the middle of the body. A new Reflect pop-up window will appear, where you want to choose Axis: Vertical, Angle: 90 degrees, and press Copy. 

After you've created another arm, be sure to place it symmetrically.

Step 5

Let’s create the leg. First, start with an ellipse. The fill color should be the same as the body and face color. 

While keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Fish… Enter the options you see in the image below, and press OK.

Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to add a long rectangle. It should be the same fill color—the black stroke is just for better visibility. 

While keeping the rectangle selected, go to Effect > Warp > Flag... Enter the options you see below, and then press OK.

Add a small ellipse to create a foot. Once you like how the leg looks, expand the whole leg: Object > Expand Appearance. Group the whole leg for easy moving.

Step 6

Place the leg in the appropriate place, under the body. Then create another leg by making a reflection of the first one, as we did with the eyes, ears, and arms.

3. How to Create the Rings of the Mushroom Character in Adobe Illustrator

Step 1

To create the first ring for our vector mushroom, we will start with a rectangle. 

After that, while keeping it selected, go to Effect > Warp > Bulge… Enter the options you see below and press OK.

Then apply another effect: Effect > Warp > Arc Lower… Enter the options below and press OK.

Step 2

Delete the fill color and set the stroke color to black. Using the Line Segment Tool (\), draw a horizontal line across the skirt.

While keeping the line selected, go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag… Enter the options you see below and press OK. The Zig Zag options below are just approximate, so feel free to adjust them to your liking.

Then we need to apply another effect to the line: Effect > Warp > Arc… Enter the options below and press OK.

Create a copy of the pink shape and the black distorted line, and set them aside for now.

Step 3

Once you like how it looks, expand the two shapes (Object > Expand Appearance). 

Open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) if you haven’t yet. While selecting these two shapes (black line and pink shape), press the Divide button on the Pathfinder panel, in the Pathfinders section. After that, the black line should disappear, and you will have two new parts that you need to ungroup (right-click > Ungroup).

Delete the lower part.

Step 4

As this mushroom vector ring is the same fill color as the whole body, we want to make it more visible. For this, we will apply a gradient to the ring. 

Open the Gradient panel (Window > Gradient). While the ring is selected, click on the gradient on this panel even if it is black and white. Change the angle to -90 degrees. 

Double-click on the left Gradient Slider while the ring is still selected. Go to the Color panel (Window > Color) and enter the color R=255, G=204, B=237. After that, double-click on the right Gradient Slider and enter the color R=239, G=168, B=217. The ring should look like the one in the image below. 

Place the first ring on the mushroom girl’s body, imitating a skirt.

Step 5

We still want more rings: on the girl’s neck, arms, and legs. Remember the pink shape and the distorted black line that we set aside earlier? Well, now we need to use them. 

Make the pink shape smaller. Open the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance) and adjust the Zig Zag options to your liking. Remember, the black line should be selected while you are adjusting. 

Once you like how they look, expand them and follow the same steps you did before while creating the skirt ring. 

Step 6

Place the neck ring on her neck. 

Create two more copies of the ring (Control-C, Control-V), and place them on her arms. 

Then, create two more copies (Control-C, Control-V), and place them on her legs.

4. How to Create the Background in Adobe Illustrator

Step 1

Now let's add a background to our illustration. Create a square by using the Rectangle Tool (M). Click on the artboard and enter 850 x 850 px. Press OK and make its fill color R=202, G=201, B=244.

Step 2

Create a big circle using the Ellipse Tool (L) with the fill color R=191, G=187, B=239, and place it in the middle of the canvas.

Step 3

Place the mushroom girl on the background. You will need to cut out the character first (Control-X) and place it in front (Control-V). You want to do this because you created the background after the girl, so the mushroom girl is automatically behind it. 

5. How to Create the Hair and Mushroom Hat in Adobe Illustrator

Step 1

Make the fill color white with no stroke color, to create the hair for our mushroom character. For this, create a lot of ellipses. Feel free to make any hairstyle you like. 

For future convenience, it is better to group the whole mushroom character right now.

Step 2

To create a hat for our mushroom vector art, we need the same fill color as the body. Create a pink ellipse first. 

Then, create a copy behind it (Control-C, Control-B). Make this copy bigger and change its fill color to R=255, G=151, B=193. 

After that, using the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the top anchor point of the copy and move it up. Do you see a mushroom hat now?

Step 3

Add some white ellipses on the mushroom hat (of course without the black stroke). Group the whole hat for easy moving.

Put the hat on the mushroom character’s head.

You've probably noticed that the hat looks as if it was just placed behind the head, and not on the head. We will fix that in the next step.

Step 4

Use the same fill color as the mushroom character’s body. Draw a thin horizontal ellipse. Then, using the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the top and bottom anchor points of this ellipse and move them up. You should have a curved shape. 

Place this shape on the mushroom girl’s head, but don’t make it overlap the upper part (hot pink) of the mushroom hat.

6. How to Create Flyaway Hair in Adobe Illustrator

Step 1

The last thing we want to add to our mushroom cartoon character is flyaway hair. Delete the fill color and set the stroke color to white. Be sure to press the Round Cap button on the Stroke panel, and make the stroke Weight 2 px.

Grab the Pencil Tool (N) and draw some curves and arcs like the ones in the image below. 

Step 2

Change the stroke color to R=255, G=243, B=249, and add more flyaway hair and texture.

That’s it—now your mushroom cartoon character is done!

Awesome Work, You're Done!

You did a very good job! Congratulations to those who went through this tutorial with me. You've learned how to create mushroom vector art and how to use the Pencil Tool, Reflection Tool, and Warp Effects. And now you have a very cute mushroom character!

See you in my next tutorial!

Recommended Resources From Envato Elements

Envato Elements offers a rich library of graphics that are perfect for your project, including vector illustrations, icons, and infographics. These resources enhance visual appeal and clarity, making complex information more accessible. With a subscription, you can download unlimited high-quality assets, ensuring your project looks professional and engaging.

1. Mushrooms Set (Vector) (EPS, JPG, PNG) 

Check out this beautiful hand-drawn botanical illustration. It's a beautifully crafted botanical illustration of mushrooms, initially hand-drawn with ink on paper and then meticulously vectorized for digital use. The detailed lines and shading capture the natural essence and intricate textures of the mushrooms, combining traditional artistic techniques with modern digital methods. This process results in a stunning and versatile graphic, ideal for a wide range of creative projects.

2. Forest Mushrooms Collection (AI, EPS, JPG)

Download this Forest Mushroom Cartoon Set featuring a mix of common and poisonous mushrooms, including fly agaric, indigo milk cap, chanterelle, honey fungus, and true morels. Perfect for educational materials, creative projects, and nature-themed designs, this collection adds a fun and informative touch to any project.

3. Fitness Mushroom (AI, EPS, PDF, SVG, PNG)

Download this high-quality vector illustration of a cute fitness mushroom character. Perfect for adding a fun and unique element to your design projects, it’s ideal for fitness-related content, promotional materials, and playful graphics.

4. Set of Mushroom Doodle Element (AI, EPS, JPG)

Check out this versatile pack of mushroom doodles, which is perfect for scrapbooking, paper crafts, card design, stickers, party invitations, and much more. It's an excellent addition to your creative toolkit, enhancing your projects with style and creativity.

5. Mushroom Characters Clipart (PNG, PSD)

Check out these mushroom cartoon characters. You will receive 26 high-quality images in 300 dpi PSD and PNG formats with transparent backgrounds. They're perfect for creating finished products like cards, stickers, invitations, and posters. Enhance your projects with these charming designs.

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