How to Draw a Serval
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Serval" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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 serval's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. The circles should be about the same size. The circle on the left should be placed a little lower than the one on the right. Servals are tall and long, so don't place the circles too close together.
Step 2: Draw another circle on the top right side as a guide for the serval's head. This circle should be about half the size of the first two. Don't place it too high up, otherwise the neck will be too long.
Step 3: Draw two curved, intersecting lines inside the head to help you draw the serval's facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw a circle on the lower half of the head as a guide for the serval's muzzle.
Step 5: Draw two small arcs on top of the serval's head as guides for the ears.
Step 6: Draw four lines under the body (two below each circle) as guides for the serval's legs. Servals are tall and thin, so make the guide lines for the legs long. Bend the line near the middle and bottom to indicate where the joints and feet will be.
Step 7: Draw a series of lines that connect the major shapes to form the rest of the body. Two lines in the front form the neck and two more in the middle form the torso. Add another line on the left side for the serval's 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 the serval's nose inside the muzzle near the top by first lightly sketching a triangle. Draw a line to the right of the triangle for the bridge of the nose. Darken the sides of the triangle to create the outer shape of the nose. Add a curved line at the bottom for the nostril.
Step 9: Lightly sketch the serval's eyes inside the head using the lines as guides for placement. The basic shapes of the eyes are similar to little footballs. Darken the lines when you get the shapes right. The eye on the right should be a bit smaller and partially blocked by the nose. Darken the sides of the eyes to create the shape of the eyeballs inside. Draw a thin slit inside each eye for the pupils. Shade the rest of the eye except for a small section at the top to represent glare.
Step 10: Use the small circle as a guide to draw the rest of the serval's muzzle. Draw a line under the nose that splits into two and curves up for the mouth. Draw the chin under the mouth, and use quick, short strokes to get a fuzzy look. Add some lines on the left for the side of the muzzle.
Step 11: Use the arcs on the head as guides to draw the serval's ears. Darken the guides to create the other shape of the ears and add some lines inside for the inner structure. Add a few quick, short strokes inside the shapes for the fur within the ears.
Step 12: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the serval's head. Follow the basic path of the circle as you create the head but use quick, short strokes for a furry texture. Add a few quick, short strokes within the head too for extra detail. The line for the face on the right should be closer to the eye than the original circle.
Step 13: Use the lines on the right side as guides to draw the serval's front legs. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the basic path of the line. When you get the structure of the leg right, darken the lines. Add a few curved lines at the bottom to create the toes. Use the other line to draw the front leg on the other side the same way. Follow the path of the guide as you sketch the shape lightly and only darken the lines when you get the structure right. Add the toes at the bottom by using a couple of curved lines. Bend the shape of the legs near the bottom to indicate the joints.
Step 14: Now use the lines on the left as guides to draw the hind legs using the same technique. The shape of the hind leg should bend more than the front legs. The top part of the hind leg should also be a lot wider than the front leg, and don't forget the toes on the bottom. The serval is stepping forward, so the hind leg on the other side will have the biggest bend in the joint. Darken the lines only once you have the structure of the leg right and use the curved lines for the toes at the bottom.
Step 15: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the body and tail. Follow the guides as you darken the lines. Add a few quick, short strokes near the bottom for a furry texture. Follow the path of the guide on the left to draw the tail. Servals have short tails relative to their bodies.
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 (optional): Something's missing. The spots! Add the serval's distinct pattern all over the body. Darken the nose and add some lines above and below the eyes. Draw different-sized dots all over the head. The spots closes to the center should be smaller. The pattern along the neck and back consists of thick lines. They're basically spots that have blended together to form lines. The pattern below the thick lines is just spots that are more or less round but not perfect. Adding the pattern can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. At the tail the spots once again come together to form stripes. To create the spots, simply draw a circle-like shape, then shade it in using a dark circle. The spots get even smaller the closer they are to the feet and underside of the body. Cover the entire body with spots. You can draw different sections of the body at a time to make the process less overwhelming.
You can add more value throughout your serval drawing for extra detail. The rest of the coat is basically a single color, so just add a value that's lighter than the spots to the rest of the body. Continue adding the value using smooth strokes until the entire body is covered.
Add more shading to your serval drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get a darker tone than the coat but a lighter tone than the spots. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Keep adding the shadows to your drawing until you're happy with the result.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the serval so it doesn't appear to be floating. Remember to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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