Cat Drawings

I was approaching doing cat drawings with a lot of trepidation because I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to manage drawing a cat, at all.

No-one was more shocked than me, when I started these drawings of cats, and one after the other was actually turning out ok.

Now, I'm not saying my cat drawings are great but I'm fairly satisfied with my first attempts. This is what I want for you too.

I like to find the simplest way to complete drawings.

All you need to do is to look closely at the outline of a cat and copy it.

Don't worry if your first line goes in the wrong direction! This happened to me, too. I think that is your mind taking over.

You have to stay focused, remove that incorrect line and copy the outline to the best of your ability.

Look closely at the first line you have drawn and compare it to the outline.

Concentrate on copying line for line rather than on your own drawing. This puts your mind in neutral and you will have much more success this way.

If you have a cat as part of your family, you will be aware that they have a little personality of their own. They truly do bring us joy - most of the time!

I had a beautiful cat called Munchee - he was 16 years old when he died.

He was a very clever cat and he understood every word I said.

This drawing is very much like him. We sure do miss him still.

If you want to draw a cat, you need a very clear photo. Especially around the eyes. It's too hard to guess if the photo isn't clear.

Cats don't sit still long enough for you to sketch from real life, unless they are sleeping, of course.

Draw a rough outline lightly from the photo. You want a quick and easy cat drawing so you only need to do a line drawing.

A single line is ok for short hair cats or you can do short quick strokes if you are drawing a long hair cat.

This sketch of a cat licking its paw didn't take long at all.

See how you can draw cats? Imagine how you much fun it will be once you start experimenting with color and paints and things.

Basic Facts About Cats

Cats are second to dogs in popularity as a favored pet.

Siamese and Persian are popular breeds.

This drawing of a persian cat is sketched while he was resting with the paws tucked under his body.

It's funny how people see differently, my friend thought his head was too big for his short legs!

You see, I should have put in a line underneath the cat to portray the surface he was on.

Lesson learned, but really it's all trial and error when you teach yourself to draw.

Cats have long, powerful bodies and their heads are rounded. They can climb trees, run fast, and they can jump a fair distance. When cats fall, they land on their feet.

Although, I know my cat felt so safe at home, he slept soundly. If he slipped off a chair, he didn't wake up to land on his feet!

Cats hunt mice, rats and snakes. They walk by moving the front and rear legs on one side of its body at the same time. This is different to most other animals.

There are 5 toes on the front paws and four toes on the back ones. Each toe ends in a sharp claw. The cat uses the claws to protect itself, hunt, or to climb. Pads cover the bottom of their feet which helps them move quietly.

Their life span is from 12 to 19 years. There are some cats that live longer.

Cat History

The Ancient Egyptians considered cats sacred.

They included cats in their works of art.

I have done this Egyptian Cat drawing to show you how they portrayed the cat.

Nothing fancy happening there hey?

Anything you draw will be better than that.

Anyone Can Draw

With all the practice I am getting lately, I am growing in confidence.

Subjects I would normally shy away from are starting to look do-able.

If you are doing these drawings with me, I hope you are going ahead in leaps and bounds with your art.

I thought you might like an outline of a cat stretching. This is only a very simple sketch.

I used a mechanical pencil with a 2B lead for these cat drawings.

I do that when I'm feeling lazy, it saves me from sharpening the pencil all the time.

To shade a cat drawing, I used a H lead, which is a hard lead and it just colors slightly.

I hope you try these drawings of cats by using the outline for a start.

Once you get the hang of it and you begin to "see" what you are drawing, you will have a great time with good results.