How to draw CATS - Step by Step Art Tutorial

Summary

This tutorial offers a comprehensive guide on drawing cats, focusing on basic anatomy and tips for creating a foundational sketch. It covers the skull's oval shape, the positioning and proportions of various body parts like the neck, legs, and tail, and the intricacies of drawing paws and facial features. The video also shares quick facts about cats and teases upcoming tutorials on kittens, emotional states, complex poses, and different breeds, encouraging viewers to practice and explore drawing their feline friends.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Start with a simple oval shape to approximate the cat's skull from a side view, adjusting for cheek and eye areas as needed.
• 📐 The cat's neck and spine should be drawn with consideration for flexibility and curvature, starting from below the skull and transitioning to the tail.
• 🦴 Understanding the distance between the hip bone and shoulder is crucial, which is about 2.5 - 3 units of the skull length.
• 🦵 The legs should be drawn with perspective in mind, showing different levels as they extend down and the length should be comparable to the skull.
• 👣 Paws are constructed with the cat walking on their toes, cushioned by paw pads, and should be represented with simple oval shapes for beginners.
• 👀 Eyes should be drawn with a round shape, considering the cat's unique eye structure and the way the eyelids and iris appear from different angles.
• 👂 Ears are positioned based on the midpoint between the eyes and should be drawn with an understanding that they can move and face different directions.
• 🐾 Paw detailing involves creating a structure with oval shapes for individual toes and paw pads, and adding fur for texture.
• 🐱 The tutorial provides a basic sketch for drawing a cat, which can be further developed with practice and exploration of different styles.
• 🐈 Cats have unique anatomical features and behaviors, such as spending a significant portion of their lives sleeping and grooming themselves.
• 🚫 It's important to be aware of foods and plants that can be toxic to cats, ensuring their safety and well-being.

Q & A

Why does the artist start with an oval shape when drawing a cat's head?

The artist uses an oval shape to approximate the cat's skull when viewed from the side, as it becomes more circular when viewed from the front or behind. This helps in getting the shape and proportions right for the face and head.

How does the orientation of the initial oval shape affect the cat's gaze in the drawing?

The oval shape is slightly tilted downwards to represent the natural orientation of a cat's skull. If the oval was perfectly horizontal, it would imply the cat is looking upwards. So, a slight downward tilt is necessary to depict the cat looking straight forward.

What is the approximate distance between a cat's hip bone and shoulder in relation to the skull's length?

The distance between the hip bone and shoulder is about 2.5 to 3 units of the skull's length.

How does the artist represent a cat's spine in the drawing?

The artist represents the spine with a flexible, curving line that transitions from the neck to the tail, indicating the cat's ability to bend and move in various directions.

What is the significance of the 'hip' level when drawing a cat's back legs?

The 'hip' level is important because it helps determine the positioning and perspective of the back legs. The leg further back is more vertical, while the one closer to the front makes a simpler connection, following the rules of perspective.

How does the artist depict a cat's feet and paw pads?

The artist uses simple oval shapes to approximate the feet and paw pads. The cat walks on the tips of its toes, cushioned by the paw pads, with an additional paw pad at the back and the dew claw on the front legs.

What is the role of the small nub or carpal pad in a cat's foot?

The function of the carpal pad is not entirely clear. The artist suggests it might serve as an additional break or support, but its exact purpose remains a bit of a mystery.

How does the artist draw a cat's nose and mouth?

The artist starts with a placeholder for the nose at the intersection of the center lines. The nose is constructed with a round shape, considering perspective. The mouth is drawn with an upside-down Y shape, with cheeks that are not flat but have some shape and go backwards.

What are some characteristics of a cat's eyes that the artist considers when drawing them?

The artist considers the round shape of the eyes, the flatness of the lens and iris, and the thickness of the eyelids. The eyes are very round from the side view, and the artist also adds the lower eyelid to give extra 3-dimensionality and shape.

How does the artist represent a cat's ears and their orientation?

The artist finds the middle of the eyes and draws a new center line to establish the ear's position. The ears are drawn with a shape that curves around, not pointing straight forward, as they normally face different directions. The artist also adds details like the inner hair of the ears and the slight curvature at the top.

What are some interesting facts about cats that the artist shares at the end of the tutorial?

Cats spend about 2/3 of their lifetime sleeping and 1/3 of their waking hours grooming themselves. They hate water because their fur takes a long time to dry. Cats' jaws can't move sideways, so they can't chew large food chunks. They rub against people to leave their scent. A cat's heart beats about twice as fast as a human's. Certain foods and houseplants can be toxic to cats.