Create a Hippo Cartoon Character in Illustrator CS6

CREATE HEAD
1.   Using Ellipse tool, draw an oval shape, making sure that the fill is see-thru
2.   Create a copy of the oval 
3.   Using the Direct Selection tool, click once on the top anchor point
4.   Stretch the top point upwards to stretch the oval
5.   Select the copied oval shape and move over the first oval, until it locks in place at the bottom
6.   Choose a light color and drag and drop to add to your Swatches palette
7.   Make the fill of the larger oval your light color
8.   Choose a dark color and drag and drop to add to your Swatches palette 
9.   Make the fill of the larger oval your dark color
10.Check to make sure you do not have a stroke on either of the shapes 

CREATE EARS
1.   Using the Ellipse tool, draw an oval shape
2.   Using the Direct Selection tool, click once on the bottom anchor point
3.   Stretch the bottom point downwards to stretch the oval
4.   Using the Direct Selection tool, adjust the side handles to give it more of an "ear" shape
5.   Adjust the Offset Path (Object -->  Path ---> Offset Path)
6.   Set Offset Path as follows:  -9, miter, miter limit 4
7.   Take the inner oval and move it downwards, until it locks in place at the bottom of your ear
8.   Make the larger ear your light color (from Swatches)
9.   Make the inner ear your dark color (from Swatches)
10.Group the inner ear and outer ear together
11. Rotate the ear to an angle that you like
12. Copy and paste the ear
13. Click on the copied ear and Transform (Right Click --->  Transform --> Reflect  -->  Vertical)
14.Move ears in place
15.Send the ears to back (Right Click -->  Arrange  -->  Send to Back)

CREATE EYES
1.   Using the Ellipse tool, hold the shift key down and draw a perfect, black circle
2.   Copy and paste the circle, and drag in place for the eyes

CREATE NOSE
1.   Using the Ellipse tool, hold the shift key down and draw a perfect, black circle (larger than eyes)
2.   Copy and paste the circle, and drag in place for the nostrils

CREATE TEETH
1.   Using the Rectangle tool, draw a rectangle, making sure the fill is see-thru, and the stroke is black
2.   Using the Direct Selection tool, adjust the side handles to give it more of a "tooth" shape 
      (narrower at the top, wider at the bottom)
3.   Rotate the tooth to an angle that you like
4.   Change the Fill of the tooth to white, and the Stroke to see-thru
5.   Copy and paste the tooth
6.   Click on the copied tooth and Transform (Right Click --->  Transform --> Reflect  -->  Vertical)
7.   Move teeth in place

CREATE OUTLINE EFFECT
1.   Select all of the hippo head 
2.   Make head a new shape by using Pathfinder (Window -->  Pathfinder -->  Shape Mode -->  Unite)
4.   Turn Stroke and Fill to black
5.   Increase the Stroke to 18, miter 4, round join (Window -->  Stroke)
6.   Copy and paste
7.   Send to back
8.   Make other copy a light grey and increase stroke and send to back
9.   Select the hippo head, the black outline, and the grey outline, and group together

CREATE ARMS
1.   Use the Pen tool to create arms
2.   Make the Fill your light color, and the stroke see-thru
3.   Using the Ellipse tool, hold the shift key down and draw a perfect circle for toenails
4.   Make the Fill of the toenails your dark color, and the stroke see-thru
5.   Select the toenails and the arms
5.  "Clip" the toenails by using Pathfinder (Window -->  Pathfinder -->  Divide) 
6.   Right click --->  Ungroup
7.   Click on the outside portion of the toenails, and hit delete on keyboard
8.   Select all the toenails and arms
9.   Group all objects
10.Rotate the arm to an angle that you like
11. Copy and paste the arm
12. Click on the copied arm and Transform (Right Click --->  Transform --> Reflect  -->  Vertical)
13.Move arms in place
14.Send to back
15.Repeat Pathfinder steps from earlier steps to create a black and light grey outline effect

CREATE SIGN
1.   Use Rectangle tool to create a box
2.   Choose a color for Fill and make Stroke black
3.   Use Type tool to add text.
4.   Arrange the box behind the arm layers