How To Draw A Furry Cat
Capturing the cuddly, furry characteristics of the beloved tabby cat in a piece of artwork is a challenge that many novice artists cope with. Though, with a few simple steps and some practice, soon you will be crafting furry feline friends to your heart’s content. Here are the keys to success when it comes to rendering a furry tabby cat.
Get The Proportions Right
The most important thing in any drawing–animate or inanimate–is the overall proportions. Before you start anything else, prepare the basics of your artwork. For example, draw a circle or an oval to be the general body shape of the cat. A good way to make sure the proportions are right is to consider the placement of the cat’s ears and eyes. The ears should be at the same level and the eyes should usually be located close to each other.
To make the cat look as real as possible, make sure all parts of the body are in correct proportion with each other. For instance, the legs should be roughly half the size of the body and the head about one third. Pay attention to the length of the tail, since cats come in many shapes and sizes and the proportion of the tail is usually the one that varies the most from cat to cat.
Once the basic structure is ready, you can move on to adding details.
Create Fur
Drawing the fur of a cat requires some practice. Don’t use long, uninterrupted vertical or horizontal lines. Instead, draw them in patches or clusters, making them overlap in some places to separate some areas from others. Place the lines in such a way that they form texture and make it easier to appreciate the furriness of the cat.
When doing this, you’ll have to make sure the lines are slightly different on each animal, since cats will have different color and pattern of fur. Let the details lead you and make sure to pay attention to the direction of the fur. It should flow naturally from head to tail and from side to side.
In some areas, you won’t draw the lines but just some patches of color. For example, around the face, from the forehead to the cheeks.
To make the cat look even furrier, you can draw short strokes in the lightest patches of fur to make it look thicker.
Draw The Details
The eyes are the most important part of a cat’s face. Get the size and spacing right and you’re halfway there. Draw an almond shape for each eye and use a darker color or a thicker line to outline them. Fill them with two overlapping circles that draw darker in the center.
Now you can also draw the ears and nose. The general shape of the nose should be a triangle at the tip and a horizontal line at the bottom. For the ears, draw a curved triangle for the inner part, then the outside line of the ear should be a soft arc. Give details on the inside part, creating a three-dimensional look.
Finally, it’s time to draw the mouth of your cat. Like the eyes, this should have an almond shape, with a curved triangle inside of it to form the top lip. Complete with a few curved lines to add the detail of the mouth and make sure the lines don’t look too sharp.
Make It Pop
Once all of the furry details are complete and the basic shapes are properly placed and the proportions are correct, it’s time to make the difference. Add a few highlights and shadows to bring your artwork to life.
To do this, choose a lighter color to draw in the areas that point to the light, such as around the eyes, nose, mouth, fur and whiskers. Then, you can add variations to create shadows in the areas that face away from the light. Pay attention to these nuances, since these will make your cat look more realistic and tangible.
With these tips and some practice, soon you will be creating cozy looking cats that capture your heart and make others go “aww!”. There is a world of possibilities when it comes to design. All you need is practice, a little patience and a sense of adventure. Good luck, and happy furry-cat-drawing!
