In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw the head detail of a Lynx step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this Lynx portrait step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

Below you can watch a Narrated 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 as a guide for the lynx's head. First make four marks to determine the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Space out the marks. The farther apart the marks are, the bigger the circle will be. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a bowl or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: Draw a long, horizontal line across the circle as a guide to help you place the lynx' facial features later. Draw this line slightly higher than the middle and curve it so that it contours to the circle. Add a shorter, curved, vertical line on the top, left for another construction guide.

Step 3: Draw a smaller circle below the horizontal line as a guide for the muzzle. Use the four-marks method again to draw this circle. The muzzle should fit in the area between the horizontal construction line and the bottom edge of the big circle. Pay attention to the size of this circle in relation to the lynx's head.

Step 4: Draw two small circles on top of the horizontal construction line as guides for the lynx's eyes. Place the eyes on either side of the vertical construction line. Use the lines as guides to determine the size and placement of the eyes in relation to the cat's head. Inside the muzzle, draw a small triangle as a guide for the nose. Draw the triangle slightly to the left of the center of the circle for the muzzle.

Step 5: On top of the head, draw two big triangular shapes as guides for the lynx's ears. Make the sides and the tips of the shapes round. Use the vertical line inside the head as a guide to help you space out the ears. Pay attention to the size of the ears in relation to the head.

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That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing of a lynx.

Step 6: Darken the small circles inside the head to create the lynx's eyeballs. Draw the top edges of the guides lower to create the outer shapes of the eyes. On the sides of the eyeballs, draw a series of short angled lines for the corners of the eyes. The outer corners of the eyes should be high and the inner corners should point down toward the nose.

Step 7: Inside each eye, draw a thin, slit-like shape for the lynx's pupils. If you'd like, you can draw the pupils as bigger circles for a more dilated look. On the sides of the pupils, draw a tiny circles for highlights. Extend the lines for the inner corners of the eyes so that they point toward the nose. Add a few short strokes above each eye for a bit of fur.

Step 8: Use the triangle inside the muzzle as a guide to draw the lynx's nose. Darken the top edge of the guide but make the line wavier. Draw short, curved lines on the sides of the nose for the nostrils. Darken the bottom tip of the guide and add a few lines above the tip. Draw longer lines on the top corners of the shape to create the bridge of the nose.

Step 9: Under the lynx's nose, draw a line that curves to the right for the first half of the mouth. The line should stretch all the way to the edge of the big initial circle. Use short strokes for fur. To the left, draw a shorter, curved line for the other side of the cat's mouth. Below the mouth, draw a thin, curved shape that's made up of short strokes for the furry chin. Draw the shape of the chin within the initial circle.

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Step 10: Use the arc on the top, right side of the head as a guide to draw the lynx's first ear. Darken the shape but make the sides wavier. At the top, draw the tuft of fur using a series of short, vertical lines. You can make the tuft a bit longer if you'd like. Draw a series of short strokes on the bottom of the arc for the furry base of the ear. Within the shape, draw longer strokes for the fur found inside the ear.

Step 11: Use the arc on the left as a guide to draw the lynx's other ear the same way. Darken the shape of the arc but make it wavier. At the top, add the tuft using short, vertical lines and then add the fur inside using a series of longer strokes.

Step 12: Use the big initial circle as a guide to draw the lynx's head. Add a series of short strokes along the basic path of the circle to create the shape of the furry head. At the bottom extend the strokes farther down to create the long fur on the cheeks. The fur at the bottom should dip low and then curve back up toward the chin. The shape of the bottom edge of the head should be similar to a big letter W or two small letter V's. Make the sides of the head slightly wider than the initial circle too. Add a few more short strokes within the shape of the head to emphasize the fur.

Step 13: 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: Add some shading to your lynx drawing for extra detail. Make the lines around the eyes thicker and darker. Add a medium value inside the eyes but don't overlap the tiny highlight circles. Use a dark value for the tufts on the ears. Draw a series of dots on the muzzle for the whiskers' base. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Shade the rest of the lynx's head using a series of strokes of a medium value for a furry texture. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. As you shade, separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through. Shade lightly at first, and then gradually build up to darker values. Leave the area around the eyes and muzzle blank for white fur. As you shade, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. The strokes should basically radiate outward from the middle. There are different species of lynx and they have different fur patterns, so you can shade your drawing differently if you'd like. For a Canada lynx like this one, add a few stripes and spots on the sides of the head using darker values.

Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Continue to add layers of short, medium-value strokes to build up the texture of the fur. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate depiction of a lynx. Add some light value to the bottom of the mouth to create some shadows on the white fur. That's it for the Lynx!

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