Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Caracal" 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 caracal's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. Caracals are long and skinny, so don't place the circles too close together or you'll end up with a short cat.
Step 2: Draw another circle on the upper left side as a guide for the caracal's head. The circle should be about two-thirds the size of the first one. The edges of the circles should almost touch each other.
Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head to help you when learning how to draw the caracal's facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw a small circle on the lower half of the head as a guide for the caracal's muzzle.
Step 5: Draw two triangle-like shapes on top of the head as guides for the caracal's ears. Caracals have big ears, so draw the peaks very tall.
Step 6: Draw a series of lines that connect the major shapes to form the caracal's body and tail. Caracals have short tails, so draw a short line as a guide for the tail.
Step 7: Draw four lines under the body (two below each circle) as guides for the caracal's legs. Bend the lines forward a bit to indicate where the caracal's paws and joints will be.
That's it for the initial sketch! When learning how to draw a caracal from this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 8: Now learn how to draw the caracal's facial features. Draw the eyes inside the head using the lines as guides for placement. First lightly sketch the eyes to get the shapes right, then darken the lines when you have them right. The shape of the eyes is similar to a football with pointier ends. Draw two tiny circles in each eye to represent glare and two slits for the pupils. Shade the inside of the eye except for the small glare circle. Use a value that is lighter than the pupils when shading the eyes. Darken the outline of the eye a bit more if you'd like.
Step 9: Draw the caracal's nose inside the muzzle by first lightly drawing a small circle. Draw the two nostrils on the sides and make the top part wavier. Draw a small line at the bottom.
Step 10: Draw the caracal's mouth below the nose as a line that splits into two. Use the sides of the small circle as guides to draw the sides of the muzzle. Draw a small arc under it using quick, short strokes for the fuzzy chin. Draw a few squiggly lines inside the sides of the caracal's muzzle for extra detail.
Step 11: Use the arcs on the head as guides to draw the caracal's trademark ears. Follow the path of the guide to draw the ears and draw a few lines inside for the fur. Add the long tuft of fur at the tip of each ear using quick, long strokes.
Step 12: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the caracal's head. The lower part of the head shouldn't be so close to the bottom of the main circle. Draw a few lines inside the head using quick, short strokes for extra detail.
Step 13: Now learn how to draw the caracal's front legs using the lines on the left as guides. Lightly sketch out the shape of the caracal's first leg as you follow the path of the line. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. Draw a few curved lines in front of the paw for the toes. Draw the caracal's leg on the other side by using the other line as a guide. Sketch lightly at first and darken the lines when you get the shape right. Draw the toes at the bottom.
Step 14: Now learn how to draw the caracal's hind legs using the other lines as guides. Remember to sketch lightly at first as you follow the path of the line and only darken once you get the structure right. The top of the caracal's hind leg should be thicker than the top of the front leg. Use the other line as a guide to draw the hind leg on the other side using the same technique. Caracals are good jumpers, so draw their legs long and lean.
Step 15: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the caracal's body and tail. Follow the path of the guide line as you make the tail thicker. Darken the remaining lines on the bottom to complete the caracal's body.
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 them. 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 caracal 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. Try to shade the caracal's body using a single value to get an even-looking coat.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the caracal so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your caracal drawing for extra detail. Add an extra dark value for some markings around the caracal's face and the tufts on the ears. It's always a good idea to use reference for accuracy when learning how to draw animals. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Caracal" video to draw at your own pace.
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