Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Lion Cub" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

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 circles as guides for the first part of the lion cub's body. First draw four small marks for the height and width of the circle, then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. But the circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. If you do want a perfect circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a bottle cap or any other object with a circular edge.

The circle on the right should be a bit bigger than the one on the right. Leave enough room on the sides for the lion cub's head, tail and limbs. Don't draw the circles too far apart, otherwise your cub will end up too long.

 

Step 2: Draw another circle on the top left side as a guide for the lion cub's head. This circle should be a tiny bit smaller than the other circles. Pay attention to the placement of this circle in relation to the first one. Their edges should touch.

 

Step 3: Draw a curved horizontal line across the head. This is a construction line that will help you place the lion cub's facial features later. Add a curved vertical line on the top left side of the head for another construction line.

 

Step 4: Draw a small circle on the lower left side of the head as a guide for lion cub's muzzle. The top edge of this circle should touch the construction line, and the bottom edge should be outside of the head.

 

Step 5: Draw two small arcs on top of the head as guides for the ears. Lion cubs have pretty big ears in relation to their heads, so don't draw the arcs too small.

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Step 6: Draw two lines that connect the head to the body to form the guide for the neck. Now draw two longer lines that connect the first two circles to complete the guide for the body. Draw a long, curved line on the right side of the body as a guide for the lion cub's tail.

 

Step 7: Draw a vertical line under the first circle as a guide for the lion cub's front leg. Bend the line at the tip for the foot. Under the left side of the body, draw a diagonal line that's bent at the tip as a guide for the other front leg. Draw an angled line similar to a greater- than sign (>) under the circle on the right as a guide for the first hind leg. Draw a similar angled line but bigger on the right side as a guide for the other hind leg.

 

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

 

Step 8: Lightly sketch the lion cub's eyes inside the head as two small ovals. Use the construction lines as guides for the placement of the eyes. When you get the placement and size of the eyes right, darken the lines. Add a long, dark tip on either side of each eye for the corners of the eyes. The inner corners of the eyes should be longer and point toward the muzzle.

Inside each eye, draw a tiny circle, off to the side, to represent glare. In the middle, add a big dot for the pupils. You can make the pupil bigger if you'd like, but it has to be a circle. Lions don't have slit pupils. Use a series of quick, short strokes to draw a fur-like pattern around the eyes.

 

Step 9: Draw the lion cub's nose inside the muzzle by first lightly sketching a small triangle. When you get the placement of the triangle right, darken the lines. Make the top corners a bit longer. Darken the sides too but make them come inward more for the nostrils. Add a small line to the bottom tip.

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Step 10: Add the lion cub's muzzle by first drawing a short line under the nose. Continue drawing the line toward the left and curl it up as you follow the guides. Use quick, short strokes for fur. Draw another line made up of quick, short strokes that curls to the right for the other side of the muzzle. Add a few quick, short strokes at the top that lead to the corners of the eyes for the bridge of the nose. Follow the path of the initial circle's lower edge to create the fuzzy chin.

 

Step 11: Use the arcs on the head as guides to draw the lion cub's ears. Darken the basic shapes but make the bottom part of the ears wavier and wider. Draw a series of quick, short strokes within the arcs to indicate the ears' openings. The furry base of the ears stretches down toward the inside of the head.

 

Step 12: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the lion cub's head. Simply darken the basic path of the initial circle to create the shape of the head. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the path of the initial circle to create a furry texture.

 

Step 13: Use the second line from the left under the body as a guide to draw the front leg that's on this side. Follow the basic 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. Make the lion cub's paws big at the bottom and use a couple of curved lines to separate the individual toes.

 

Step 14: Use the line on the far left side as a guide to draw the other front leg the same way. Follow the guide as you lightly draw the shape of the leg around it. Darken the lines when you get the structure right. The bottom of this leg should be more to the left. Add a couple of curved lines at the bottom for the lion cub's toes.

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Step 15: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Sketch the leg lightly as you follow the basic path of the guide and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. The top part of the leg should be thicker than the bottom. Add a couple of curved lines at the tip of the foot to separate the individual toes. Curve the shape of the leg near the middle as the guide bends to represent the joints.

 

Step 16: Draw the lion cub's other hind leg the same way. Follow the basic path of the guide as you make the shape of the leg wider. The top part of the leg will be behind the other hind leg, so don't worry about drawing that section.

 

Step 17: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the lion cub's body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the guides to create a fur-like texture. Use the line on the left side as a guide to draw the cub's tail. If you made your initial guides thinner or wider, now is the time to correct them to give your cub the proper body shape.

 

Step 18: 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 throughout your lion cub drawing to give it extra detail. Use a light value for the whole body but add some darker stripes on the forehead and make the nose dark too. Leave a section under the eyes blank, along with the muzzle, jaw and chin. As you add the value, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. For the body, the strokes should be horizontal.

Use vertical strokes for the legs. Leave the underside and chest blank along the inner sections of the legs. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Lion cubs have markings for camouflage, so add some spots using a darker value on the legs and back. Don't overthink it when adding the spots. Simply add random markings using a darker value.

Add some shading to your lion cub 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. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. The value of the shadows should be about as dark as the spots. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the lion cub so it doesn't appear to be floating. If you'd like, you can add a darker value to the coat. Add some value to the eyes as well, and don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

 

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