In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a cartoon Smilodon or Saber-toothed tiger.

 

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To draw this cartoon Smilodon / Sabertooth 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.

 

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 two short, diagonal lines for the smilodon's eyebrows. Sketch lightly at first. The lines should be similar to check marks. When you get the lines right, darken them. Curve the outer tips of the saber-toothed tiger's eyebrows down and the inner tips up. Add a short, curved line in the middle too.

 

Step 2: Draw a small diamond under each eyebrow for the eyes. The smilodon's eye on the left should be a tiny bit smaller. Leave the insides blank for a more menacing look.

 

 

Step 3: Draw a short, curved line from the eye on the left for the bridge of the nose. Below that, draw a triangle for the saber-toothed tiger's nose. To the right, draw a curved line for a wrinkle.

 

Step 4: Below the nose, draw a long, wavy, horizontal line for the top of the smilodon's mouth. Sketch lightly at first. The middle of the line should point up toward the nose a bit. The right side should be long and curved.

 

 

Step 5: Below the mouth, on the right side, draw a long, V- shaped line for the smilodon's first canine tooth. On the left side, draw the other canine the same way. Leave a small gap on the left edge near the top. Starting at the gap on the left, draw a series of short, triangular shapes for the front teeth. Feel free to make the canines longer if you'd like.

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Step 6: Starting on the right side of the mouth, draw a long, curved line for the shape of the saber-toothed tiger's big open mouth. The sides of the open mouth should bend toward the right a bit, and the bottom should be a bit wavy.

 

Step 7: Inside the mouth, at the bottom and on either side, draw two small triangular shapes for the lower canines. Between these canines, draw a few smaller triangular shapes for the rest of the smilodon's teeth.

 

 

Step 8: Inside the mouth, draw a couple of curved lines for the tongue. Add some lines on the sides to complete the saber-toothed tiger's mouth.

 

Step 9: Below the mouth, draw a curved line for the chin. Curve the line up to create the rest of the saber-toothed tiger's jaw. Break up the line a bit to represent fur.

 

 

Step 10: Starting at the eye on the left, draw a couple of lines that curve to the top, right for the smilodon's head.

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Step 11: On top of the head, on either side, draw two triangle-like shapes for the saber-toothed tiger's ears. The ear on the left should be smaller than the ear on the right. Add a few lines inside the ear on the right for the fur.

 

Step 12: Draw the sides of the head as two long, curved, vertical lines. These long lines should be made up of smaller jagged lines to represent the fur on the smilodon's cheeks. The lower part of the head shouldn't stretch down all the way down to the chin. It should end mid-jaw.

 

 

Step 13: Starting at the top of the head, draw a long, curved line for the back. Sketch lightly at first. The line should be similar to a little hill. Add a few jagged lines at the top for the fur. When you get the shape right, darken the line. Under the head, draw a couple of lines that curve to the right for the saber-toothed tiger's chest.

 

Step 14: To the right of the chest, draw a couple of short, curved , horizontal lines for the smilodon's first leg. At the top, draw a line that curves to the right and then down for the other edge of the leg. Add a short, vertical line on the left side and a horizontal line at the bottom for the foot. On the bottom, left side, draw three short, curved lines to separate the individual toes. At the tip of each toe, draw a small triangular shape for the saber-toothed tiger's claws. It's okay to overlap the lines for the toes.

 

 

Step 15: Under the head, draw the smilodon's other leg stepping forward. The leg is made up of a big, thick shape that slopes to the lower, left side. Sketch lightly at first so that its easy to erase if you make a mistake. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. As you darken the bottom edge, draw a small, curved line near the front for the dewclaw. At the tip of the saber-toothed tiger's foot, draw two short, curved, vertical lines to separate the toes. On the tip of each toe, draw a small, curved, triangular shape for the claws.

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Step 16: Draw a curved line on the top, right side for the back portion of the saber-toothed tiger's body. To the right of the front leg, draw a curved, sloping line for the underside of the body.

 

Step 17: On the right side, draw the saber-toothed tiger's hind leg using a series of curved lines. Use angled lines for the middle of the leg to indicate the bending joint. The foot at the bottom should be a thick, wide shape. As with the smilodon's other legs, sketch lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. Add the toes at the tip.

 

 

Step 18: Draw a small, curved arc on the upper, right side of the body for the smilodon's tail. To the right of the front leg, draw a short, vertical line for the visible part of the other hind leg.

 

Step 19: Using a pen or marker, go over the lines to make your saber-toothed tiger drawing permanent. Be very careful when you ink so that you don't make any mistakes. After inking, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser.

 

 

Final Step: Color your saber-toothed tiger drawing using color pencils, markers or even crayons! Use yellow for the main part of the body. Don't color the lower part of the head and body, the area around the eyes or the toes. Use dark red for the nose, brown for the inside of the mouth and pink for the tongue. Use gray for the gums and the claws. Color the teeth light brown. Leave a bit of the claws blank for shine. If you'd like, you can draw spots on the smilodon's body using brown. You can also draw stripes or any other pattern you want! Add some shadows along the bottom using gray to give the drawing more volume. Don't forget to pause to draw at your own pace.

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