In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Margay 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.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

To draw this Margay 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 on the right side of the paper as a guide for the front part of the margay's body. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's 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 left, draw a circle of similar size as a guide for the back portion of the cat's body. Place this circle higher and far away from the first one to make the margay's body long.

 

 

Step 3: On the right side, draw a smaller circle as a guide for the margay's head. This circle should be about half the size of the first circle. The edges of these two circles should touch and almost overlap.

 

Step 4: Draw a horizontal line across the head to help you place the margay's facial features later. Add a vertical line on top.

 

 

Step 5: Draw a small circle on the bottom half of the head as a guide for the margay's muzzle. Pay attention to the size of this circle in relation to the cat's head. The bottom should stick out of the head.

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Step 6: On top of the head, draw two short arcs as guides for the margay's ears. The arc on the right should be thinner.

 

Step 7: Under the circle on the right, draw two long lines as guides for the margay's front legs. Bend the lines to indicate where the cat's joints and feet will be later.

 

 

Step 8: Under the circle on the left, draw two more lines as guides for the hind legs. These lines should be longer and slope more than the lines on the right.

 

Step 9: Draw two lines that connect the head to the body to form the guide for the cat's neck. Connect the first two circles using a couple of longer lines to finish the guide for the body. On the left side of the body, draw a long, curved line as a guide for the margay's 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: Lightly sketch the eyes inside the head as two small circles. The margay's eyes should be on top of the horizontal guide line and on either side of the vertical guide. When you get the size and position of the eyes right, darken the lines. As you darken the shape of the eye, make the sides pointier. The eye on the right should be narrower and not as pointy because of the way the cat's head is turned. Draw a few curved lines around the eyes for extra detail.

 

Step 11: Inside each eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. In the middle of each eye, draw a thin slit shape for the cat's pupils. Shade the eyes using a value that's lighter than the pupils. Be careful when you shade so that you don't overlap the tiny glare circle. To make the eyeballs appear rounder, make the top part slightly darker than the bottom. Add some lines at the bottom to make the corners of the margay's eyes longer and some lines at the top for fur.

 

 

Step 12: Inside the muzzle, near the right side, lightly sketch a small circle for the nose. When you get the size and position of the margay's nose right, darken the shape but make it more angular. Make the top part flat. Draw a sloping line on the left that comes inside the shape for the nostril. Make the bottom of the nose narrow and add a small, vertical line at the bottom.

 

Step 13: Under the nose, draw a line that curves to the left for the first half of the margay's mouth. This line should curve to the left so that it touches the side of the small initial circle. On the right side, draw a line that curves up toward the right side of the initial circle for the other side of the cat's mouth.

 

 

Step 14: Under the mouth, draw a small, curved line for the chin. Use the initial circle as a guide as you draw the margay's chin. Draw a few lines around the nose to finish the shape of the muzzle.

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Step 15: Darken the small arc on the top, left side of the head to create the margay's first ear. Make the shape come in toward the head more and make the bottom part a bit wavy. Inside the shape, draw a few strokes to give the ear structure and fur. Draw the ear on the right the same way but make the opening narrower because the cat's ear is turned.

 

Step 16: Use the bigger initial circle as a guide to draw the rest of the margay's head. Darken the edge of the circle but make the right side narrower. The lines on the right side should dip in toward the eye to make the shape of the head thinner. Use a series of short strokes along the bottom to create a fur-like texture.

 

 

Step 17: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the first front leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the margay's leg around it. The top of the leg should be wide and gradually narrow toward the bottom. The cat's paw should be wide too. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Use short strokes to represent fur. At the tip of the paw, draw a couple of short, curved lines to separate the toes.

 

Step 18: Use the line to the left as a guide to draw the other front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the margay's leg around the guide and darken the lines when you get the shape right. Use short strokes along the left edge for fur. Add some curved lines at the bottom for the cat's toes.

 

 

Step 19: Use the line on the far left side as a guide to draw the margay's first hind leg. The top of this leg should be a lot wider than the top of the front leg. The shape should get thinner toward the bottom. The shape should slope to the left, then bend downward at the joint. The cat's foot should bend toward the right. Darken the leg only when you get the shape right and don't forget to add the toes at the bottom.

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Step 20: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the margay's other hind leg. The shape of this leg should slope toward the right because it's stepping forward. The wide part of the leg at the top will be hidden behind the cat's body, so don't worry about drawing it.

 

Step 21: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the margay's body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Use a series of strokes along the underside of the cat's body for the longer fur found there.

 

 

Step 22: Use the long, curved line on the left side as a guide to draw the margay's tail. Just like with the legs, first lightly sketch the shape of the tail around the guide. Make the tip round. When you get the shape of the cat's tail right, darken the lines.

 

Step 23: 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: Use a dark value to add the distinctive margay coat pattern on the body. Draw a couple of stripes on the side of the cat's face and above the eyes. Leave a section around the eyes blank. Add a few small dots on the side of the face and a bunch of tiny dots on the forehead. The pattern at the top of the body consists of big spots that come together to form thick, horizontal stripes. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw so that your margay's coat pattern is more accurate. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Along the middle of the margay's body, draw a series of thick, circular shapes called rosettes. Make the rosettes different sizes. The shapes don't have to be perfect as long as they're somewhat circular. Draw some thick stripes on the tail with a few small spots between the stripes. Add stripes on the cat's legs. Make them big at the top and gradually smaller toward the bottom.

Shade the rest of the margay's body using a smooth, light value. Leave the area around the cat's eyes, the lower half of the head and the underside of the body blank. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Add a medium value to the inside of the rosettes.

Add some shadows to your margay drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps to ground the margay so it doesn't appear to be floating. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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