10 Simple Tips For Drawing A Realistic Cat For Beginners

So you're here because you want to learn how to draw cats? Something I have always wanted to become great at too! So I have looked through the internet to find some great tips to get you started quickly and easily. I have tested these tips personally and have had great success! Read on and lets get started!

Tip number one: Do some research!

So this means looking for different pictures of cats, mainly for reference. These can be both drawings or real life pictures. Enjoy this step because.... you're looking at cute kitties! Then once you have a nice collection of pictures to draw inspiration from move to the next step.

Baby photo created by wirestock - www.freepik.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Image by freepik.com

Tip number two: Do a quick line sketch.

Once you have your paper and chosen pencils ready for which I would recommend a softer pencil with a higher B status such as 4B. This will mean that it is easier to erase and causes less indentation to the paper so if, like me, you make lots of mistakes then each time you erase them you won't see all of them forever etched into your paper underneath your completed drawing. This drawing only needs to be incredible basic as you will only use it for a guide and will be erasing most of it at a later point. So to start with you simply want to draw a straight vertical line the length that you want your drawing to be. Then using your reference pictures make tiny marks on the line to indicate where to draw the head, the body and the paws. Begin with the head and draw a small-ish circle. At your next mark draw an oval shape. Finish by drawing four small circles at the bottom connected to small ovals to outline the paws and arms. As you can see from my drawing below, it doesn't have to be perfect:

Tip number three: Draw the outline around your quick sketch.

Now you want to get a more realistic shape for your drawing. Simply use your reference pictures and you basic outline sketch to guide you. This outline doesn't need to be perfect as you can change it slightly later if you need to or hide bits that don't look right as you'll see soon. Don't forget to add the ears and the tail!

Tip number four: Erase your guide.

So being as careful as you can erase all of your circles and ovals and bits outside of your line drawing so that you have a plain outline. It doesn't matter too much if you don't get it all as it will give you a guide later as to where to shade and add your furry lines. From personal experience, a smaller eraser will work best here but if you do have a larger one (like I did) and you find yourself erasing your outline then just simply draw it back in as you erase it. Easy peasy!

Tip number five: Sort your face out!

At this point you will have already drawn a simple face but now is the time to go in and add some detail. It doesn't have to be much your first time and as you practice more you will get better at the finer details. As this is probably your first time, just freshen up your lines and add a little bit of shading to the eyes and nose. It'll still look great!

Tip number six: Add some fuzziness!

Here is where we start adding a bit or realism! It is is very simple step that takes almost no time or skill as you essentially scribble over the outline to soften it. This is also where you can use some of the bits you may not have been able to completely erase as guides for adding in some body fur to give your cat some extra detail. For this bit simple go around your outline making tiny little lines to indicate fur. Don't forget to add in the furry wisps in the ears and make sure you are using your references to note wear the fur may be longer or shorter and add yours accordingly. 

Tip number seven: Add some shading.

Now, this is where your drawing will suddenly shift from looking basic to becoming a lot more realistic and professional looking. This is probably the only step where you have to actually take a little bit of time and care as you can easily ruin your drawing if you don't pay attention to what you're doing. Start off by going for the obvious darker areas first; areas like under the feet and tail, under the chin and around the front legs. Once you have filled these areas you can then start to play around with other areas, on the face, around the paws etc. Remember to keep referring to your references and use a softer pencil. If you use too hard a pencil then your shading will be very one-tone, stripy and hard to blend. When shading start off with shading the entire area you are focusing on very lightly. Work in layers getting a little darker and shading a smaller area as you go. You can then use your finger to blend and spread the shading should you need.

Tip number eight: Add some background features (optional)

It is completely up to you whether you use this tip as you may or may not want to add anything else. I, however, felt that as this was my first attempt that I needed to add a little something to distract from the main drawing's little mistake and just add a little something extra to the drawing. As you practice and get better you may want to disregard this tip, or use it to enhance your drawing skills and get better at drawing realistic surroundings for your cat. As you can see from my attempt I went for the stereotypical "cat on a mat" and added a little toy mouse. Feel free to add whatever you like!

Tip number nine: Admire your drawing!

Possibly my most important tip.

Now... depending on who you are as a person this tip will be more difficult for some of you. Try to look at your drawing objectively. Notice where you could have made things different or better but do not dwell or punish yourself for them. Simply take notes for next time. The more you do the better you will become. I, for instance was quite impressed with my drawing. I can see that is far from perfect, but I put myself in the shoes of you the reader, who would most likely be in the same position. Not a confident drawer but wanting to see if you could at least do something that isn't terrible. I am proud of my first attempt and definitely will be doing several more to try and improve.

Tip number ten: Try again!

Now you've finished your first attempt it's time to try again! It's super easy to be negative and and give up so even if you aren't satisfied with your first attempt it's important to keep going and trying multiple times because as the saying goes; "Practice makes perfect!".

I hope my tips have given you a good insight into how easy drawing can become with the right guidance. I went through lots of guides and pictures to try and narrow down and simplify the process to make it as easy and as fun as possible for you to try. I followed my tips as I would have if I hadn't written them and was reasonably pleased with the outcome however I definitely need more practice. You many feel the same. So, lets keep practicing, trying different poses, styles of cat and in time we can all be drawing excellent realistic cats!