Step 15: Draw a curved line that's made up of short strokes above the edge of the initial circle for the top of the head. Draw a sloping line near the edge of the initial circle, across the bottom of the ear, for more of the lion's head. On the left, follow the basic path of the initial circle to create the side of the head. Curve the lines next to the eye to form the brow at the top and the cheekbone at the bottom. Draw a curved line along basic path of the initial circle on the lower, right side to create the bottom of the head.

Step 16: Draw a series of lines and short strokes inside the head for fur and structure. Draw a couple of sloping lines below the eye on the left to emphasize the lioness' cheekbone. Draw some strokes at the top and bottom for a bit of the neck.

Step 17: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Add some shading to your lioness drawing for extra detail. Make the lines around the eyes thicker and darker. Add a medium value inside the eyes but don't overlap the tiny highlight circles. Use a dark value on the edge of the big cat's nose, inside the nostril and on the mouth. Add a dark section on the side of the mouth and inside the ears. Draw a series of dots for the whiskers' base. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Shade the rest of the lioness' head using a series of strokes of a medium value for a furry texture. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. As you shade, separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through. Use a darker value near the top of the big cat's head. Shade lightly at first, and then gradually build up to darker values. Make a few strokes slightly darker on the forehead for an almost spot-like pattern. Leave the area around the lioness' eyes blank. Use smooth shading on the section above the nose. As you shade, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. The strokes should basically radiate outward from the middle.

Use a medium value to shade the lioness' nose and leave the area around the mouth and chin blank for white fur. Add a bit of light value on the front part of the muzzle to create some shadows. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Continue to add layers of short, medium-value strokes to build up the texture of the fur. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate depiction of a lioness. Add some light value to the front of the muzzle to give it texture and so that it isn't so blank. Add some long strokes above the mouth for whiskers. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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