In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Lion Roaring 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 roaring 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 big circle as a guide for the front part of the roaring lion's body. To draw the circle, first make four small marks to indicate 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 small, 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 right, draw another circle as a guide for the back portion of the body. This circle should be smaller than the first circle. Don't draw the circles too far apart, otherwise the roaring lion's body will be too long.

Step 3: On the top, left side, draw a smaller circle as a guide for the lion's head. Draw this circle about one- fourth the size of the first circle. Pay attention to the placement of this circle in relation to the first circle.

 

Step 4: On the left side of the head, draw a small, angled arc as a guide for the top part of the roaring lion's open mouth.

 

 

Step 5: Under the head, draw a small arc similar in shape to the letter U as a guide for the lower jaw. This arc should be almost as long as the lion's head. Curve the left side inward a bit.

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Step 6: On the right side of the head, draw a small arc as a guide for the lion's ear.

 

 

Step 7: Draw two long, curved lines that connect the head to the body as a guide for the roaring lion's mane. The top line should curve more and form a small hill on the head.

Step 8: Under the first circle, draw two long, vertical lines as guides for the lion's front legs. The bottoms of the lines should bend to the left to indicate where the joints and feet will be.

 

Step 9: Under the circle on the right, draw two longer lines as guides for the roaring lion's hind legs. The first line should slope to the right quite a bit before angling downward. The second line should be shorter and bend near the middle. Both lines should bend at the bottom to indicate the lion's feet.

 

 

Step 10: Draw two lines that connect the first two circles to create the guide for the torso. On the right side of the body, draw a long, curved line as a guide for the lion's tail.

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

 

Step 11: Inside the lion's head, near the top, draw a line similar to a greater-than sign (>) for the eye. Close off the shape on the left side with a short, curved line. Inside, add a dot for the pupil. To the left, draw a thick, pointy line for the corner of the lion's eye. Draw a series of short lines around the eye for wrinkles. Pay attention to the size of the eye in relation to the rest of the head.

Step 12: Inside the muzzle, near the tip, lightly sketch a small triangle for the lion's nose. When you get the size and position right, darken the shape but make the corners thinner. Curve the right edge inward to create the nostril. The top edge should be a bit wavy.

 

Step 13: Use the initial arc as a guide to draw the top part of the roaring lion's open mouth. Darken the lower edge of the initial arc and extend the line inward to make the mouth bigger. Under the line, near the right, draw a small, V- shaped line for the lion's first canine tooth. To the left, draw a few more small shapes for the front teeth. To the far left, draw another V-shaped line for the lion's other canine.

 

 

Step 14: Use the curved line at the bottom as a guide to draw the roaring lion's open mouth. Extend the top line downward and then curve it to the left to create the open mouth. Add a parallel line to the left to create a thin shape for the lips. Above the lower line, draw two small, triangular shapes for the lower canines. Draw a few short lines under the canines for the detail on the lion's gums and lip.

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Step 15: Darken the left edge of the initial guide line to close the shape of the open mouth. Inside the shape, draw a curved line for the roaring lion's tongue. At the top, draw a spiky shape for teeth.

 

Step 16: Darken the line above the nose to create the bridge of the muzzle. Add a few short lines between the lion's nose and the eyes for wrinkles. Draw lines of different sizes mainly close to the eye to emphasize the roaring face.

Step 17: Darken the arc on the right for the lion's ear. Add some short strokes inside the shape for fur.

 

Step 18: Darken the top part of the initial circle for the roaring lion's head. Draw a series of short strokes between the mouth and the ear for the inner edge of the mane. As you add the strokes for the mane, use the same slope as the lower jaw. Darken the lower curved guide using short strokes to create the furry chin.

 

 

Step 19: Use the curved lines around the head as guides to draw the first part of the roaring lion's mane. Darken the top part of the guide using short strokes to represent the hair on the mane. Continue drawing short strokes in a vertical line under the ear. Draw short strokes along the path of the guide under the chin. Add a few more strokes to the left to make the lion's mane fuller.

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Step 20: Add more short strokes along the path of the guides to the right of the body for the rest of the mane. Draw a sloping line made up of short strokes across the initial first circle for the edge of the lion's mane.

 

Step 21: Use the second line from the left as a guide to draw the lion's first front leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. The leg should be wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. The paw at the bottom should bulge to the left. Add a couple of curved lines inside for the toes. On the top, right side of the leg, draw a shape made up of short strokes for a tuft of fur.

Step 22: Draw the other front leg around the guide line on the left the same way. The top part of this leg will be hidden behind the lion's body and the first leg, so only draw the visible part.

 

Step 23: Use the angled line on the far right side as a guide to draw the roaring lion's first hind leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. The top of the leg should be wide. Curve the shape where the guide bends to create the joints. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. It's okay to overlap the other guides. The bottom part of the leg should be skinny. Don't forget to add the lion's toes at the bottom.

 

 

Step 24: Use the last line under the lion's body as a guide to draw the other hind leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide line. Only draw the visible lower section. Sketch lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the shape right.

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Step 25: Darken the outer edges of the guides in the middle to create the shape of the roaring lion's body. Add an extra line at the bottom for the bit of fur found there. Darken the curved line on the right for the lion's tail. Make the shape of the tail thicker using another curved line. At the tip, draw a few short strokes for the furry end.

Step 26: 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 inking, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser for a cleaner drawing.

 

 

Final Step: Color your roaring lion drawing! Use yellow or cream lightly for the base of the lion's body. Add yellow-orange, light brown and brown directly on top of each other to build up the color of the body. Add some color to the front of the lion's mane too. Use gray to dull down color that's too bright.

Add all the colors lightly and slowly build up the tones. Use a bit of orange on the roaring lion's body and mane. Use darker colors for part of the mane like red-orange and dark brown. Always add your colors lightly and slowly work your way up to darker tones. Use dark brown for the nose, the inside of the mouth and the tip of the lion's tail.

Continue to slowly and lightly blend colors that are yellowish in shade until you're happy with the result. Add a bit of dark brown and gray to create shadows on the lion's body and give the figure more dimension. Coloring can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks.

Use gray to create a cast shadow under the body so that the lion doesn't appear to be floating.

It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate depiction of a lion. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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