In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw and color a Lion running step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

To draw and color this running Lion step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a circle near the middle of the page as a guide for the front part of the running lion's body. To draw the circle, first make four marks to determine its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: To the left, draw another circle using the four-marks method as a guide for the back portion of the lion's body. This circle should be smaller than the first one. Sketch lightly so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. Don't draw the circles too close together, otherwise the lion's body will be too short.

Step 3: Draw another circle on the right side as a guide for the lion's head. This circle should be about the same size as the circle on the far left. The edges of this circle and the first circle should touch. Place this circle a bit higher than the first.

Step 4: Draw the guide for the lion's muzzle by first making a small mark on the lower, right side of the head. Connect the mark to the head using sloping lines to create the blocky shape of the muzzle guide.

Step 5: Draw a long, sloping line inside the entire head as a guide to help you place the lion's facial features later. At the top of this line, draw a small arc as a guide for the ear.

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Step 6: On the lower, right side of the first body circle, draw a couple of sloping lines as guide for the front legs. Pay attention to the length of these lines in relation to the lion's body. Bend the lines a bit to indicate the joints.

Step 7: On the lower, left side of the second body circle, draw two more long, sloping lines as guides for the lion's hind legs. These lines should be a bit longer than the lines for the front legs. Remember to bend the lines for the joints.

Step 8: Draw two long, curved lines from the head to the front part of the body as a guide for the lion's mane. The farther away you curve these lines from the head and body, the bigger the mane will be.

Step 9: Draw two long, curved lines that connect the first two circles together to finish the guide for the running lion's body. On the top, left side of the body, draw a long line that curves up as a guide for the tail.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

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Step 10: Inside the head, near the right edge, draw a small, angled line for the lion's eye. The eye should be similar to a less-than sign (<). Draw a short, curved line on the right to close off the shape. Sketch the shape lightly at first. When you get the size and position of it right, darken the lines. Inside the eye, near the top, draw a tiny circle for a highlight. Below that, draw a dot for the pupil. Add a small, angled line on the right for the corner of the lion's eye. Draw a few short strokes around the eye for fur.

Step 11: Inside the muzzle, near the tip, lightly sketch a small triangle for the lion's nose. When you get the size and position of the nose right, darken the shape. Use a series of short strokes as you darken the top edge for a bit of fur. Draw a couple of short, curved lines on the left edge to create the nostrils.

Step 12: Below the lion's nose, draw a wavy line that stretches to the left for the mouth. The line should almost touch the edge of the initial circle. Remember to sketch lightly at first.

Step 13: Follow the basic path of the initial guide to draw the top part of the muzzle. Make the line wavier than the guide. Below the mouth, draw a curved line for the chin. Use a series of short strokes to draw the shape to give the lion's chin a furry texture. Add an extra curved line on the left side, below the tip of the mouth.

Step 14: Darken the basic edge of the initial circle to create the top part of the head. Follow the path of the circle but make the shape of the head more angular. Add a few short strokes inside the head for extra detail on the fur. To the left of the nose, draw a few wavy lines and dashes for the base of the lion's whiskers.

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Step 15: Darken the small arc on the top, left side for the lion's ear but make the shape wavier. Draw a few longer strokes across the bottom of the ear for the part of the mane that covers it.

Step 16: Draw a series of long strokes from the top of the head to the chin for the inner edge of the lion's mane. Make the strokes in the middle longer and farther to the left. Use a series of strokes along the top guide for the main part of the mane. Curve the strokes to the left to emulate the mane flowing in the wind as the lion is running. Add strokes directly on top of the lower guide to create the mane at the bottom the same way. Continue to add strokes across the guides toward the top to close off the front shape of the mane.

Step 17: Use the second line from the right as a guide to draw the running lion's first front leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. At the bottom, draw a couple of short, curved lines for the creases on the foot and for the toes. The top of the leg should be thick and gradually get thinner toward the bottom. On the top, left side, draw a few longer strokes for the fur found at the joint.

Step 18: Use the lines that connect the head to the body as guides to draw the rest of the mane. Draw a series of short strokes directly on top of the guide line to create the shape of the mane. Draw the strokes across the first circle guide. At the bottom connect the strokes to the fur on the joint.

Step 19: Use the sloping line on the right as a guide to draw the other front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the leg around the guide. Make the top part wider than the bottom. The lion's paw will be stretched out. At the bottom of the shape, draw a couple of curved lines for the toes. Make the bottom part of the foot wavy for the thinner joint that connects the paw to the leg. Draw a couple of curved lines under the toes for the padding on the paws.

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Step 20: Use the angled line on the far left as a guide to draw the running lion's first hind leg. Draw this leg the same way. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the leg around it. This leg bends a lot more than the front legs. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. At the bottom, draw a couple of curved lines for the toes and for the padding on the paw. Make sure you curve the shape of the leg in the middle to emphasize the joints.

Step 21: Draw the shape of the lion's other hind leg around the last line under the body. Use curved lines for the toes at the bottom. A big part of the top of the leg will be hidden behind the first hind leg.

Step 22: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the running lion's body. Darken the outer edges of the guides in the middle to create the shape of the torso. Darken the curved line on the left for the top edge of the tail. Add a parallel curved line directly below for the bottom edge of the lion's tail. At the top of the tail, draw a small, oval-like shape that's made up of short strokes for the furry tuft.

Step 23: Go over the final sketch lines with a pen, marker or any other type of permanent ink. Take your time and be careful when you ink to avoid any accidents. After the ink dries, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser for a cleaner drawing.

Final Step: Color your running lion drawing! Use yellow or cream lightly for the base of the body. Add more earth tones like light brown and yellow-orange to the body directly on top of each other. Add the colors lightly and slowly blend them to build up the tones. Add some dark brown to create shadows on the lion's body and give the figure more dimension.

Color the mane the same way. Use a mixture of brown, yellow, orange and even red. Lions' manes can vary in color. Some are darker than others. Use more dark brown for a darker mane. Always add your colors lightly and slowly work your way up to darker tones. Use dark brown for the tail tip.

Use gray and a bit of brown to emphasize the shadows and define the body's structure. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate depiction of a running lion. Use gray and a bit of purple to create a cast shadow under the body. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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