Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Cheetah Running" 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 a guide for the first part of the cheetah's body. First draw four small marks for the height and width of the circle, then connect the marks using curved lines. 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, bottle cap or anything else circular.

Cheetahs stretch out when they run, so place the second circle far away from the first one to make the body long. The second circle should also be smaller than the first. Leave enough room on the sides and bottom for the head and feet.

 

Step 2: Draw another circle on the left side as a guide for the cheetah's head. This circle should be smaller. Draw it about one-third the size of the first circle. Don't place it too far away from the first circle, otherwise the cheetah's neck will be too long.

 

Step 3: Draw an angled line on the left side of the head as a guide for the cheetah's muzzle. The left side of the shape of the muzzle shouldn't stick out too much. It should be pretty flat.

 

Step 4: Draw a small arc on top of the cheetah's head as a guide for the ear. Add a curved line to the left of the arc for the ear on the other side.

 

Step 5: Draw two angled lines (one under each circle) as guides for the legs that are on this side of the body. The line on the left side should be similar to the letter Z on its side. The line on the right side should angle once as it comes out of the circle, then stretch back pretty straight. Cheetahs have long limbs, so draw these guides long too.

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Step 6: Now draw two more angled lines under each circle as guides for the legs that are on the other side of the body. It's okay if the lines overlap a little. Pay attention to how the lines bend. This will indicate where the cheetah's joints will be later.

 

Step 7: Draw a series of curved lines that connect the major shapes to form the rest of the cheetah's body. Draw two lines on the left side that connect the head and body to form the neck. Add two lines in the middle to form the torso. The line at the bottom should curve more to indicate the chest. Add a long wavy line on the right side as a guide for the tail.

 

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

 

Step 8: Draw a small half-circle inside the head, on the upper left side, for the cheetah's eye. Sketch lightly at first to get the shape and placement right. Darken the edges of the eye using a thicker line when you get the shape and placement right. Add an extra line on the top, left side of the eye for the fur and add a tiny dot inside the eye for the pupil. Draw an extra thick line on the outer, lower, left section for the corner of the eye. Shade the inside of the eye a little near the top. As you shade, use a value that's lighter than the pupil and outer edges of the eye.

 

Step 9: Lightly sketch a triangle inside the shape of the muzzle at the top for the cheetah's nose. Use a wavy line for the top of the nose as you darken the shape. Darken the sides of the nose too but make the lines a bit curvier. Draw a small slit- like line inside the shape of the nose for the nostrils.

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Step 10: Draw the rest of the cheetah's muzzle using the initial angled line as a guide. Draw an angled line that starts under the nose, then stretches to the right toward the head for the mouth. Draw a smaller curved line to the left for the other side of the mouth. Draw another curved line under the mouth for the bottom lip. Follow the bottom edge of the guide to draw the chin. Use quick, short strokes to represent fur.

 

Step 11: Darken the arcs on top of the head to create the shapes of the cheetah's ears. Add a line within the arc for the ear's edge and a few quick, short strokes for the furry texture.

 

Step 12: Use the initial circle and lines as guides to draw the rest of the cheetah's head. Follow the basic path of the guides as you darken the lines to create the head. Use quick, short strokes as you draw the shape of the head to indicate the fur. The line for the bottom of the head should stretch toward the inside of the shapes to create the jawline.

 

Step 13: Use the angled lines as guides to draw the legs that are on this side of the body. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the basic path of the guide line. When you get the structure of the cheetah's leg right, darken the lines.

The top part of the leg should be thicker than the bottom. The thinnest part should be the joint before the paw. Draw the cheetah's paw pointing down because it's hanging pretty loose as the other front leg takes the stride. Use a couple of small curved lines at the bottom of the paw to indicate the individual toes.

Draw the hind leg that's on this side of the body the same way. First lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the basic path of the guide. Follow the top line, not the bottom one. As you sketch the shape of the cheetah's leg, be sure to draw the top part a lot thicker than the bottom.

When you get the structure of the leg right, darken the lines. Unlike the front leg, the hind leg should not be pointing down. It should be stretched back toward the right. Add a couple of curved lines at the tip to indicate the cheetah's toes pointing up.

 

Step 14: Now draw the legs that are on the other side of the body by using the remaining lines as guides. Follow the path of the guide as you create the shape of the leg. Don't overlap the lines of the leg in front of it. Use curved lines on the tip of the paw for the toes. Add a small line at the end of the toes for the cheetah's claws. Draw the paw and toes big because the foot is spread out wide as it braces for impact.

Now follow the basic path of the line on the right to draw the hind leg on the other side of the body. Most of this leg is hidden behind the the other hind leg, so only draw the bottom half of it.

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Step 15: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the cheetah's body and tail. Simply follow the basic outer path of the initial guides and darken the lines to create the shape of the body. Use a few quick, short strokes on the underside of the body for the furry texture. Now follow the path of the wavy line on the right to create the thick shape of the tail. Cheetahs use their long, muscular tales as rudders to steer their bodies to turn sharply as they run and chase prey.

 

Step 16 (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 that you may have accidentally erased.

 

Final Step: Add some shading to your cheetah 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.

Add a cast shadow underneath to emphasize that the cheetah is off the ground as it runs.

It can't be a cheetah without spots! Start by adding the coat pattern on the head. Use a dark value for the back portion of the ears and on the nose. Add the tear-like streaks that start on the left side of the eye and end on the right side of the mouth. Make the streak thicker at the bottom and add a dark value to the bottom lip too.

Draw a shorter, thinner streak on the right side of the eye too. Start adding small spots on the head. Avoid drawing any directly in front of the cheetah's face, especially above the nose. Make the spots bigger the farther back toward the body they are.

There's no trick or shortcut for adding the coat pattern. You just have to add A LOT of spots all over the cheetah's body. Make the spots different sizes. Draw a few big ones spread out, then add a lot of little ones in the spaces between. Adding each spot is very time- consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Draw the spots smaller the closer they are to the paw.

Consider drawing the spots on a certain section, say the legs, then taking a break and doing another section later. That way it's not too overwhelming. Make the spots bigger the closer they get to the end of the tail until they become bands instead of spots near the tip. Add a few more smaller spots in any gaps you see between the bigger spots.

You can add even more value throughout your cheetah drawing for extra detail. As you shade the body, use a value that's a lot lighter than the spots. As you add this value to the body, you can also darken the shadows created earlier. As you shade, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Cheetahs' fur isn't too long, so use shorter, smooth strokes to convey this. Remember to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate cheetah.

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