Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Persian Kitten" 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 a big circle on the top left side of the paper as a guide for the kitten's head. First draw four small marks to indicate 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 circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. If you do want a perfect circle, trace the outer rim of a glass, a cup or any other object with a circular edge. Leave enough room on the bottom for the kitten's body, feet and tail.

 

Step 2: Draw a horizontal line across the head. This construction line will help you place the kitten's facial features later. Place the line in the middle of the circle. Curve the line so that it contours to the shape. Add a curved vertical line on top of the horizontal line for another construction line.

 

Step 3: Draw a small circle on the bottom half of the head as a guide for the muzzle. Just like with the head, first draw four marks for the height and width of the circle. Then close the shape using curved lines. The top of the circle should be a little higher than the horizontal construction line. Draw this circle about one-fourth the size of the kitten's head.

 

Step 4: Draw two small arcs on top of the head as guides for the kitten's ears. The arcs should have somewhat of a rounded point at the top.

 

Step 5: Draw another circle on the lower, right side of the head as a guide for the kitten's body. Again, first draw four small marks to indicate the height and width of the circle, then connect the marks using curved lines. The circle for the head and the circle for the body should be pretty much the same size. Pay attention to the position of this circle. Leave enough room on the left side for the front legs.

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Step 6: Draw a couple of curved lines that connect the two big circles to create the back part of the kitten's body. The line on the left should curve outward quite a bit to create the guide for the chest.

 

Step 7: Use a series of curved lines under the body to create the guides for the Persian kitten's front legs. The guide for the leg on the left should consist of a long, curved vertical line and a short , curved horizontal line at the bottom. The guide for the leg on the right side should be made up of two long, curved vertical lines and a short horizontal one.

 

Step 8: Draw a curved line under each leg as a guide for the front paws. The guides for the kitten's paws should be similar to half- ovals or the letter C on its side.

 

Step 9: To the right of the front paws, right below the body, draw a half-circle as a guide for the first hind paw. Add an angled line on the right that connects the hind paw to the kitten's body as a guide for the hind leg. Draw a short, curved line to the left of the front paws as a guide for the hind paw on the other side of the body.

 

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

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Step 10: Add the Persian's eyes inside the head by first drawing a couple of circles. Use the construction lines and the circle for the muzzle as guides to get the placement of the eyes right. Sketch the circles lightly at first so that they're easy to erase if you don't get the size or placement right at first. When you get the shape and placement right, darken the circles using a thick line.

Make the top left side of the first circle extra dark and triangle-like to create the corner of the eye. Darken the outer edge of the eye on the right as well. The Persian kitten's eye on the right should be a tiny bit bigger and wider than the eye on the left because of perspective. Add a triangle-like dark shape on the top right side and on the lower left side for the eye's corners. Draw a tiny oval inside each eye on the left side to represent glare. Draw the pupils as a long slits in the middle of each eye. The pupils should be shaped simlilar to long ovals with pointed ends. You can also draw the pupils as circles to make them more dilated.

Shade the inside of the eyes except for the tiny ovals that represent glare. As you shade the kitten's eyes, use a value that's lighter than the pupils. You can also use a gradient value that is darker at the top and gradually gets lighter at the bottom to make the eyeballs look rounder. Add a series of lines around the outside of the eyes for the fur. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the outer edge of the eyes to simulate a furry texture.

 

Step 11: Draw the Persian's nose inside the muzzle at the top. First lightly sketch an upside-down triangle. Then when you get the size and placement right, darken the lines. Make the top line wavy. On either side of the triangle, draw a small circle and shade it in for the nostrils. Now darken the rest of the shape and add a small line at the bottom of the nose. Draw a curved line that's made up of quick, short strokes above the nose to convey the flatness of the kitten's muzzle.

 

Step 12: Draw the Persian kitten's muzzle by using the initial circle as a guide. First draw a short line under the nose. The line should split into two at the bottom so that it looks like an upside-down letter V. Continue to lengthen the line but start using quick, short strokes. Curve the line upward toward the left edge of the circle. Use another curved line that's made up of quick, short strokes on the right to create the other whisker pad. Add a few dashes and dots within the shapes you just created for the base of the whiskers. You can also add some whiskers by drawing a series of long strokes from the pads, but they might get muddled if you shade your kitten drawing later.

 

Step 13: Use the arcs on top of the head as guides to draw the kitten's ears. Follow the path of the arcs as you use quick, short strokes to create the furry shape of the outer ear. Add a few longer strokes inside the shapes for the fur within the ears. The strokes inside the ears should also follow the basic path of the initial arc.

 

Step 14: Use the inital big circle as a guide to draw the shape of the head. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the basic path of the circle to create the shape of the kitten's head. As you draw the left side of the head, make the shape a bit wider than the original circle. Use longer strokes to convey the long, shaggy fur. The right side of the head should be a lot wider than the original circle to convey the fluffy fur. The strokes should be around the same size , but at the same time try to vary the sizes a bit to emphasize the furry texture.

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Step 15: Use the initial lines and shapes under the body as guides to draw the front legs. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the path of the guides to create the furry shape of the kitten's first leg. Darken the half- oval to create the shape of the paw. Add three lines at the bottom of the paw to separate the individual toes. Draw the other front leg the same way. Darken the leg using quick, short strokes and add the paws and toes at the bottom.

 

Step 16: Use the lines on the right side of the body as guides to draw the tail. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the path of the line to create a sort of oval shape for the tip of the kitten's tail. The line for the tail, which is made up of short strokes, should curve back up toward the body and end close to where it began.

 

Step 17: Use the initial half-circles that are on either side of the front legs as guides to draw the hind paws. Simply darken the outer shape of the half-circles for the kitten's paws and draw a few lines within each paw for the individual toes.

 

Step 18: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the kitten's body. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the outer path of the guides to create the shape of the body. If you'd like, you can use even longer strokes to represent longer, shaggier fur. Add a few strokes under the head to give the chest a furrier and fluffier texture.

 

Step 19 (optional): 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 (optional): Add some shading to your Persian kitten 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. You can stop after this step if you'd like your kitten to be white. Continue adding the value until the entire body has the appropriate shadows.

You can add even more value throughout your drawing for extra detail. Persian kittens can have a variety of coat patterns, so feel free to shade yours however you'd like. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The rough value gives the coat a furry texture. Instead focus on adding the strokes in the basic direction that the fur should go. As you add the value, separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and emphasizes the fur. Adding the value can be very time- consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw. If you have a pet kitten, try to duplicate its pattern on your drawing. Remember to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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