How To Draw Cats: Tips And Tricks

Aren’t cats the cutest? And drawing these adorable little creatures can really be fun. I bet you have tried to draw this tiny fellow at least once in your life. 

Have you found it hard to draw a cat? If yes, then this article on how to draw cats is just for you. I will give the easiest instructions possible. After finishing the tutorials, you will be able to draw either a realistic cat or a cartoon. Even if you are a noob in drawing, this article will help you draw the cutest cat. Let’s start.

How To Draw Cats 

Drawing cats is actually easy if you follow each step carefully. I suggest you start drawing with a cat’s skeleton. 

Now, you need to consider the cat’s position first, whether you want to draw a sitting cat or a running one. Remember, the bones define the feline’s range of motion and its position. You can draw by seeing a photo of a feline or just from your imagination. 

Do not be scared. You do not need to draw the exact bone shapes. Just remember how long they are and how the bones are connected. The advantage here is, all the four-legged animals have the same bone anatomy. So, I guess you do not have to struggle a lot. 

If you find it difficult to remember the bone structure of a cat, you can follow a trick. Think of the bone groups as an oval. This way, the drawing will be much easier. Also, pay extra attention to the spine. 

Next, you need to keep in mind the proportion of the bones and joints. The legs can not look bigger than the cat’s body. So, look at the cats closely to get an idea. Observe them sit, walk, and run. 

Most people get confused between the forelegs and the hind. The position of these legs changes with the motion. You need to observe the change very carefully. Also, if you are drawing a real cat, then the positions are important. Don’t think of cartoon cats. 

The hind legs of the cats can reach almost 120 degrees rotation. However, the head of the cat always stays in the same position throughout the run. 

People make another common mistake when drawing cats. Have you ever noticed a slow-walking cat? It always moves the legs on the same side while walking. But when they run, they switch to the diagonal leg position. 

Once you have observed and learned the poses of a cat, you are ready to move to the next level. Now we will talk about how to draw cats muscles. 

Muscles will provide the proper shape of the cat. While drawing the muscles, see a real cat. Otherwise, you may find it complicated to draw the muscles. 

First of all, cover all the bones and ovals with simplified muscles. You need to consider the pose of the cat. Now here is the deal. If you are drawing a furry cat, then simplified muscles will work. It is because the fur will cover the mass. 

But if you want a short or medium-haired cat, you need to concentrate on the muscles. It is because the muscles will be more visible. You need a couple of times to exercise for that. Also, you will need a perfect picture that shows the muscles. 

Here is one interesting fact. Cats have loose skin. In some areas, you will notice no muscle, only fur, and skin. Yes, you have read it correctly. You can touch the area between the thigh and calf to see by yourself. Add the skin on the muscles to move to the next step. 

Let’s focus on the cat’s paws. Many people ask me how to draw a cat realistic and lively. Well, you need to concentrate on the details, and that is the trick. 

The forepaws and the hind paws of a cat are different. The cats mainly walk on their fingertips and use the flat palm as support. Their forepaw has a small thumb and a small appendix. On the other hand, the small hind paw looks like our feet. 

The cat’s paws are really unique. There is a separate claw attached to the last one of the paw. Isn’t that awesome? After drawing the paw perfectly, cover it with fur and proper shape. This way, the paws will look real. 

Do you find it hard to draw the cat’s face? Do not worry. I will tell you how to draw a cat face the easiest way. 

Start with drawing a muzzle. It looks like a sack in between two eyes. To create the length of the nose bridge cut the muzzle into two halves. Draw two circles on both sides of the muzzle, the muzzle will look like a panda. These circles are the eyepatch of the cat. 

Draw eyes and add a forehead. The forehead will be straight up from the nose. Now draw the jaws and the rest of the skull. Later on, you can concentrate on the details. For example, the details of the eyes and ears. 

The eyes of a cat will have 4 things. A lower eyelid, a third eyelid, a corner, and eyelashes. You can add veins to make the eyes look more realistic. Also, remember the cats have slit pupils. And yes, do not forget to draw whiskers. 

Cover the full body of the cat with fur. Make sure the furs are in the proper place. Give some retouch if needed, and your task is completed. 

How to draw a kitten (cartoon) 

Well, drawing a cartoon cat is much easier. First of all, draw an oval-shaped head. Give two triangle ears. You can use either the oval or triangle shape as the muzzle. 

To make a face, add two small rectangles inside the ear. Use dots as eyes. Draw a curve below the muzzle as a mouth. Oh, do not forget to add whiskers. 

Use two curves to draw the body. You can draw the feet using a ling U shape. Add some more details if you want. 

Drawing a cat is easy. With a few practices, you can draw the cutest cat. I hope this guide on how to draw cats will help you.

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