How to draw a cute and realistic black cats Step by step.
This guide, we will analyze the anatomical structure of the head, body and paws of a cat. We would sketch the entire body in stages. we've put in place over 30 cats images for references. And also I will show you how to correctly depict fur and draw kittens.
How to draw cat's head
The cat has a rounded head with a short muzzle. Her eyes appear large and point forward, giving the cat excellent depth perception.
How to draw a cat's head from the front step by step
1. Draw a circle with a pencil and divide it in the center with vertical and horizontal lines.
2. Add two vertical lines on either side of the center one, dividing the head into three sections.
3. Draw the ears and nose.
4. Add the front edge of the ears, the triangular nose pad, and an inverted V shape to represent the mouth.
Start adding the top part of the eyes. The highest point in oval eyes is located just behind the vertical lines that divide the face into three parts.
5. Fine-tune the details. Add the pupils and complete the eyes, leaving a dark "tear canal" at the inner corners of the cat's eyes that leads to the nose.
Add strands of hair inside the ears and ear pockets.
Ear pockets are a pinched area on the outer edge of the ears.
Add a line just below the outline of the circumference of the head, indicating the front where the ears connect to the head.
6. Outline the sketch with ink (liner or helium pen), at the same time adding nostrils. Let the ink dry and erase the pencil lines.
Another way to sketch a cat's head
Note that there is an almost imaginary line running from the inner corner of the ears to the inner corner of the eyes and down to the outer corner of the nose pad. These (partially) imaginary lines create a space between the cat's ears, eyes, and nose that narrows as it flows down to the nose pad. Keep this in mind when drawing the cat's face from any angle.
Draw a cat's head from the side in stages
1. Start with a circle and lines in the center. Then divide the left side of the circle into two equal parts and add a third line at the same distance to the left of the circle.
2. Draw an inverted V or check mark shape to represent the nose, tear duct, and top of the eye. Draw a curved line to represent the mouth, making sure the corner of the mouth is close enough to the highest point at the top of the eye. Add the nearest ear and its base.
3. Use a V-shaped line to complete the eye. The outline of the eyeball should curve outward (forward, to the left in this drawing) to indicate its rounded shape as it protrudes from the orbit. The lower eyelid should tilt upward to meet the outer corner of the eye.
Add a nostril and a line indicating the outer and inner parts of the ear. Continue the line from the outer corner of the eye down the cheek. Draw the far ear.
4. Draw the pupil and shade the tear duct. Indicate the front "cheek" or bulge under the eye. This is where part of the bone protrudes and wraps around the bottom of the eye socket, protecting the eyeball. Above the eye, show the cat's "forehead" (and where the whiskers are attached).
Sketch long hairs inside the nearest ear, which are attached to the inside of the front edge and sweep back. Finish off the ears by adding an ear pocket visible on the nearest ear.
5. Complete the drawing with pencil or ink.
Draw the head of a cat in a three steps
Now let's draw a more voluminous portrait of the cat with its head turned to us by about 45 degrees.
1. Draw a circle with vertical and horizontal lines meeting where the center of the muzzle will be. Take the "+" shape from the previous drawings, but rotate it at a three-quarter angle.
2. Add a circle - the base of the ear. Draw the nose. Note that the nose (and muzzle) does not extend far beyond the circle of the head.
3. Add the ears and eyes, noting that the eyes are slightly wider than the top plane of the nose below them.
4. The dotted lines in the picture below show how the top and bottom edges of the eyes line up, even at this angle. Continue drawing the eyes, curving the outline down and towards the nose on the far eye. Add the inner corner of the near eye. Also add the outline of the cat's muzzle and chin.
Add a line right inside the outline of the cat's nearest ear to indicate the rim.
5. Complete the outlines of the cat's eyes by sharply lifting the bottom edge up to meet the outer corner of the eye.
Add one visible nostril and complete the cat's mouth. Add fur on the cat's ears and draw a line connecting the inner corners of the two ears. Continue the line to the farthest ear, defining its inner and outer sides. Add an air pocket (in front of the main rim at this angle).
6. Start drawing fur. Draw cat pupils. Note that the pupil of the farthest eye looks closer to the inner corner of that eye than the pupil of the closer eye. This is due to the angle at which the far eye is viewed.
7. To complete the work, work on it with ink, add a mustache and darken the inner corners of the eyes to indicate the area of the tear duct.
How to draw cat eyes
The cat's eyes are large and oval in shape. Their pupils are usually vertical ovals, but they change depending on the light. In the dark, the pupils of the cat will be large and almost round. In broad daylight, a cat's pupils will be narrow, vertical slits. Cat eye colors range from amber, yellow and green to deep blue.
1. First sketch out the eyes with a pencil.
2. The first application of ink goes over most of the lines already drawn with a pencil. You can use dotted or broken lines to show the texture or tones of the fur. The boldest and most continuous lines are used to draw the eyelids and tear duct areas.
3. At this point, use very short, dotted strokes to shade the eyeball under the upper lids. Also shade the areas along the tear duct. Define the fur using quick strokes.
4. I recommend using a smaller diameter pen or liner to draw fine details on the eye. Using the pointillism technique (filling space with dots), add shading to the eyeballs and lightly outline the highlights of the eyes.
Use very short pen strokes to lightly shade the curved edge on each eye. Still using a smaller diameter liner or pen, draw very short strokes all over the fur to give it volume and depth.
5. To complete the drawing, shade the eyes and tear ducts until you are satisfied with their appearance. Then go over the fur, using longer strokes in some cases and shorter strokes in others, adding variety and depth to the fur.
On the outer edge of the cheek of the farthest eye, draw long hairs protruding from the shorter ones. This gives the appearance of longer "guard hairs" emerging from a shorter, fluffier undercoat. Below we will analyze in more detail how to draw fury.
Many short strokes, drawn very close together, subtly tint in some areas, such as the space between the eyes and behind the outer edge of the eyes.
Draw and shade a cat's nose
The cat has a small, triangular nose that can be pink or black.
1. First draw a vertical rectangle and a slightly curved line about a third down from the top of the rectangle.
2. The cat's nose pad is drawn in a heart-like shape.
3. Add nostrils and mouth.
4. Finish the drawing with a pen, shading the area of the nostrils, and erase the pencil lines.
How to draw the Cat muzzle and mouth
Cats have many sharp teeth and a specific tongue, like sandpaper.
Take a closer look at some of the forms of the cat's muzzle in a half turn. Pay attention to how many shapes flow into one another.
The cat has many whiskers on the muzzle, some above the eyes, and some in place on the cheeks. Mustaches grow from rows of hair follicles. Most often, cats have four main rows of whiskers, but this number can vary.
How to draw cat ears
Cat ears are triangular. Like dogs, they have ear pockets on the outer edge of their ears.
How to Fur on the ears
The base of a cat's ears has bands of fur that run in different directions and can create distinctive ridges and lines in the hair where they meet. One of these areas of fur is the area in front of the inner corner of the ear. The fur at the beginning of the ear is often thin and tends to stick out almost straight out of the skin. By studying cats, you can get an idea of where these spots and ridges are on a cat's head and body and what they look like from all angles.
Ear pocket
The ear pocket is a small, pinched patch of jagged skin along the outer edge of the ear. This is true for many animals. If you look at a certain angle, you can see the indentation along the contour of the ear.
A Closer Look at the Cat's Ear
Note the stripe of fur running from the inner edge of the ear to the other side. There is a small patch of shorter hair at the inner base of the ear which is sometimes visible. Pay attention to whether you always draw it or not.
How to draw the body of a cat step by step
A cat tends to have a long, flexible body.
cat feet
Cat paws and toes appear rounded and velvety. Beneath this soft shell lies a sharp claw that can be extended or retracted at will. This allows cats to keep their claws sharp, unlike dog claws that become blunt from constant contact with the ground.
Cat foot drawing
Start with a light sketch of the general shape of the wrist. Add the fingers and thumb claw (also called the profit). Please note that the claw of the dewclaw sticks out a little. This is almost the same as the human thumb. Outline the work in pen, using broken lines to indicate the cuts in the skin from which the cat's claws emerge. Look at the above image for references
Paw pads
The cat has one large pad in the center of its paw and one small pad on the underside of each of its four toes.
Some cats have more than four fingers, there are even six-toed cats!
Pay attention to the rear paw of this cat lying on its back. The cat's claws are not released, but the slit of skin from which each claw emerges on each toe is visible. Notice how bony the cat's "ankle" is and how it protrudes at the joint.
cat claws
The cat's claws are sharp and help it climb, catch objects, and defend itself.
Cat and human hands
This can help visualize human hands in the same pose. Grasping human hands and clutching cat paws are similar in location. The arrows show the thumbs, which are a bit like cat paws.
Cats have flexible and smooth legs that help them maintain a sense of balance and grace.
cat paws
Cats have flexible and smooth paws that help them maintain a sense of balance and grace.
How to Draw the Front Paws in 3 Steps
In the first drawing, the main points of emphasis are the “shoulders” and “wrists”.
Once these key physical aspects are mapped out, everything else will go much easier. Notice how the "wrists" curve slightly inwards.
Circle the finished drawing with a pen or letter.
The structure of the hind legs of a cat
cat tail
The cat's tail is usually long and expressive. If the cat is happy, her tail can be carried up with a curled tip. An angry cat may wag its tail back and forth. However, if the tail just twitches slightly, the cat is probably just curious about something. An agitated cat may fluff up all of its fur, including the fur on its tail.
Fur
There are long-haired and short-haired cats, and each variant has its own characteristics.
It is easier to see the basic anatomy of a shorthair cat. This can make it easier to understand what's going on with the cat's body when you're trying to draw it and reduce the chance of anatomical errors.
The anatomy of a longhair cat is often hidden under thick fur. However, the artist must still respect the feline anatomy in order to draw a cat without turning it into a fluffy, shapeless blob!
The direction of the fur on the cat's body :
Here is a finished drawing of the same cat. Note that the strokes representing the fur have been drawn in the same direction as the arrows in the previous diagram.
Have you ever noticed how often cats are depicted sleeping? This is not surprising, because this is the only way for them to remain motionless for long enough!
However, cats in motion are also wonderful drawing subjects with their gracefulness and elegant lines. To catch your cat in action, you'll need a quick eye and a quick hand.
In any case, whether in a resting pose or in motion, drawing cats is fun and interesting. With careful observation, the right use of lines, and a little practice, you will draw great cat compositions.
Conclusion
This tutorial covered the full outline for sketching a cute, realistic black and kawaii cat with various references.
See my top drawing tutorial on this blog