How to Draw a Lion Roaring
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Roaring Lion" 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 lion's body. First draw some 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 rim of a glass or anything circular. The circle on the right should be smaller and placed higher. The edges of the circles should almost touch.
Step 2: Draw another circle on the top left side as a guide for the roaring lion's head. This circle should be about one- fourth the size of the first one. Don't place it too far away, either.
Step 3: Draw a U-shaped arc under the head as a guide for the lower part of the lion's open mouth.
Step 4: Draw two intersecting lines inside the entire head to help you draw the lion's facial features later on. Curve the lines to contour to the head. The horizontal line should be pretty high on the head.
Step 5: Draw two small arcs on the top of the head as guides for the lion's ears.
Step 6: Draw a series of curved lines that connect the major shapes to form the rest of the lion's body. On the right side of the body, draw a curved line similar to a backward letter J as a guide for the tail.
Step 7: Draw four lines under the body as guides for the lion's legs. Band the lines on the left a bit at the top for the joints and at the bottom for the feet. The legs should be far from each other to give the lion a wide, aggressive stance. Bend the lines for the lion's hind legs near the middle and at the bottom.
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's eyes as small circles inside the head. Use the initial construction lines as guides for placement. When you get the placement right, darken the shape of each eye using a thicker line. Create the actual eyeball inside the eye as you darken the outside edges.
In the middle of each eye, draw a tiny dot for the lion's pupils. Shade the eyes except for a tiny circle on the sides to represent glare. As you shade, use a value that's lighter than the pupils. Add a few lines above and below the eyes for extra detail. Use quick, short strokes to represent the fur around the eyes.
Step 9: Draw the lion's nose by first lighly sketching a triangle. The nose should rest between the horizontal construction line and the bottom edge of the circle. When you get the placement right, darken the top of the nose using a wavy line. As you darken the sides of the nose, add two small slits for the nostrils. Draw two lines on top of the nose that lead to the eyes.
Step 10: Draw a curved line under the nose for the top lip of the roaring lion's open mouth. The top lip should sit very close to the bottom edge of the initial circle. Add a few curved lines on the sides for the curled-up muzzle.
Step 11: Draw the top row of teeth under the top lip. The roaring lion's canines should be on the sides and be long, thin and pointy. Add a line in front for the gums and the smaller incisor teeth under it. You can also make the canines longer if you'd like.
Step 12: Draw a curved line below the lion's teeth for the bottom lip. Pay attention to how far down this line goes. It doesn't touch the bottom of the initial arc. Draw another line inside the shape where the bottom teeth will sit.
Step 13: Draw the bottom row of teeth right above the line for the lower lip. The lion's bottom canines should be long, thin and triangle- shaped, and the incisors should be smaller.
Step 14: Draw a curved line inside the open mouth for the lion's tongue. Draw a few small lines on the sides for the visible molars.
Step 15: Draw a few more lines on the lion's face for the wrinkles and to emphasize the growl. Add a few wavy lines at the top in between the eyes. The lines shouldn't touch in the middle but should stretch all the way to the eyes. Draw some lines that connect to the sides of the muzzle and some right above the nose. Add a few small lines within the shape of the muzzle. The lion's whiskers are omitted because there are too many lines already.
Step 16: Draw the outline of the roaring lion's face using the initial shapes as guides. Follow the basic path of the guides as you draw the face using quick, short strokes. These short strokes are basically the base of the mane. The back of the head is hidden under the big mane. Use quick, short strokes along the path of the initial U-shaped arc to create the chin.
Step 17: Use quick, short strokes under the small arcs on the head for the fur that's in front of the ears. The lion's mane will hide most of the ears, so just darken the tops of the arcs for the ear's tips.
Step 18: Use quick, short strokes to draw the front part of the lion's mane around the head. First lightly sketch the mane so that you get the shape around the head right. When you get the shape of the mane right, darken it using quick, short strokes. You can make the shape bigger if you'd like, and use longer strokes for a shaggier mane. We'll come back to the second part of the mane, which will stretch back toward the body, in a later step.
Step 19: Use the lines on the left side as guides to draw the lion's front legs. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the basic path of the guide line. Make the overall shape thicker. When you get the structure of the leg right, darken the lines. Bend the shape near the top, where the joint is, and add some fur to the elbow. Draw the toes at the bottom using a couple of curved lines and the claws using small triangle-like shapes.
Draw the other front leg the same way. Draw the other front leg the same way. Start with a light sketch at first to get the shape right. Follow the basic path of the guide as you make the shape of the leg thicker. Bend the leg at the top and darken the lines only when you get the structure right. Don't forget to add the toes using curved lines and the triangle-like claws at the bottom.
Step 20: Draw the rest of the lion's mane strecthing back toward the body using quick, short strokes. Add the strokes lightly at first as you follow the basic path of the initial guides. When you're happy with the shape of your mane, darken the quick, short strokes.
Step 21: Now use the lines on the right as guides to draw the lion's hind legs the same way as the front legs. Sketch the shape of the leg lightly as you follow the guide and only darken the lines when you get the structure right. The lines for the leg should overlap the lines for the tail. The lion's tail will be hidden behind the leg. Draw the toes using a couple of curved lines and add the claws as triangle-like shapes.
Draw the hind leg on the other side of the body using the last line as a guide. The lion's hind legs should be set far aprt as well to give the lion a powerful stance. This foot should have fewer visible toes because of the perspective.
Step 22: Draw the rest of the roaring lion's body using the remaining lines and shapes as guides. Simply follow the outer path of the guides as you darken the lines to create the shape of the body. Most of the tail is hidden behind the hind leg. Add some strokes at the end of the tail for the brush-like tip.
Step 23 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your roaring lion 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. Don't worry too much about the shading if you're going to add more value to your drawing in the final step.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the lion so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add even more value throughout your roaring lion drawing for extra detail. Add the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Use a darker value on the lion's nose, lips and wrinkles to help emphasize them. As you shade the first part of the lion's mane, try to add the value by using strokes that go in the general direction of the mane. In this case, the strokes should radiate outward around the head. Some lions have darker manes, so you can use a darker value if you'd like.
Now shade the second part of the mane using strokes that go back toward the body. Continue shading the second part of the mane using a darker value or the same value as the first part. Add some value to rest of the lion's body, as well. Try to add the value smoothly to the body so that you don't end up with a rough texture. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Continue adding the value until the entire body is covered and you achieve the level of darkness that you like. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Remember to pause the "How to Draw a Roaring Lion" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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