The PEANUTS Gang
Tips for Drawing Charles Schulz’s Beloved Characters
We are a mother and son illustration team. Our drawings are hand-drawn and traced in the computer. Our goal is to help Substackers illustrate their publications with fun and simple drawings. We’re trying to restore the human creativity that is being lost from the progression of technology and AI.
Some of you have come to know me as an admirer of “Good ol’ Charlie Brown” and his creator, Charles M. Schulz.
Schulz used simple lines to express the lovable characters of the PEANUTS gang. Heartwarming, relatable, happy, and nostalgic—these are what I love about Charles Schulz’s artistic style.
When I draw his characters, I study his strokes and imitate them with respect.
His art inspires mine.
PEANUTS Art Posts
In November 2025, I wrote two posts about family art projects making the beloved PEANUTS characters.
The first featured Snoopy doodles by my youngest son and me.
The second highlighted my husband, who didn’t have a habit of creating art by himself until... sharing family moments creating Charlie Brown art ignited something in him.
These were two of our most popular posts.
As I have shared art moments and notes related to the PEANUTS Gang, I have identified other fans, which brings me to the topic of today’s post: how to draw PEANUTS characters.
A Request from an AJ Doodles’ Reader
As you likely know, we publish a weekly doodle tutorial. All of our tutorials are chosen from doodle art that we have created. In other words, all of our tutorials come from our original work and ideas.
In December, Jack Harmer the Wrinkly Writer requested tutorials for PEANUTS characters.
Jack is the author of Nobody Told Me, a publication to help people embrace retirement with a sense of usefulness. Whether you are approaching retirement, new to retirement, or a full-fledged retiree, Jack’s publication is a great place to connect.
I was flattered by Jack’s request. I enjoy breaking down illustrations to help others tackle a drawing. However, I also felt unworthy. Who am I to represent Charles Schulz? Could I honor his legacy?
Pushing aside fears of inadequacy, I got to work. I drew the PEANUTS characters starting with Lucy, then Schroeder, Linus, and last but not least, Charlie Brown. I chose classic pictures that, in my opinion, best represent the characters—Schroeder at his piano, Lucy standing in admiration, Linus with his blanket, and Charlie Brown with a contented smile.
As I drew, my fears subsided; I found myself enjoying the process. I looked forward to creating tutorials for other PEANUTS fans out there.
PEANUTS Tutorials
Our next several doodle art tutorials will be PEANUTS characters!
First up is none other than Charlie Brown! If you are subscribed, a doodle art tutorial for Charlie Brown will be in your inbox this Sunday, February 8, 2026.
In preparation for these tutorials, I’d like to share some pointers for making the PEANUTS characters.
Round heads.
You can start any character by drawing a circle for the head. For some characters, like Charlie Brown, the circle will be the head. For other characters, like Lucy and Linus, who are brother and sister, the circle will be adjusted to form the shape of their head. Regardless, we’ll start with a round head.
Head size.
The size of the head in proportion to the body is about the same for all the PEANUTS characters. It is about 1/3 the size of the total character. After you draw the head, it’s good to think about how big the rest of the body will be compared to the head. This is easiest to see when the character is standing. If the character is sitting, the head might be about ½ the total height of the drawing.
Snowman.
With a standing character, to best achieve my proportions, I drew a snowman figure. The top circle represented the head; the middle, the body; and the bottom, the legs and feet. The middle circle should be bigger than both the head and the feet circles.
Triangular body.
The bodies of the characters are triangular when standing. It’s easy to draw the shape of the body when you notice this.
Chubby fingers and arms.
The fingers and arms appear rounded and chubby. You do not need to draw 5 fingers on every hand. Sometimes, only a few fingers are represented in the drawing.
Big Feet.
The feet are oversized and add to the appeal of the character.
And with these tips, you are ready to draw the PEANUTS gang!
Reminder to Submit Your Snowflake Art
Submissions for the Snowflake Art Challenge are due TODAY!
We will be displaying all the snowflake artwork in next week’s post.
It’s going to be a good one!
Nice! I love Snoopy and PEANUTS, reminds me of memories with my beloved Nana <3 - Great tutorial!! - hope Woodstock is on the way :)
Very nice post.