How to Draw Cat Bodies in Poses

This is the last part of this how to draw cats tutorial series. Last time I covered how to draw cat paws, and before that I gave a tutorial on how to draw cat faces/heads. I also made some how to draw cats video tutorials. Today I'm going to cover how to combine cat heads and paws with cat bodies to create cat poses. Let's get to it!

How to Draw Cat Bodies in Poses

Art Type: Traditional or Digital
I'm Using: Photoshop CS4 and an Intuos 4

I used references to guide these drawings. I suggest using references as well, especially if you're drawing an animal that you haven't practiced with much, or if you want a realistic style.

You can click the images below to see them larger.

How to Draw a Cat Sitting

1. Draw the basic shapes to form the head, chest, torso, and rear. Keep in mind that cats are longer than they are tall. They are also very graceful, so are best drawn with curving lines in mind.
2. Add the guide lines to the face and add the ears, muzzle, and eye.
3. Add the legs and tail. You can't see the hind leg on the other side of the body.
4. Either half erase your guide drawing, or draw on a new layer if working digitally. Detail the face.
5. Detail the body. Don't forget the little lines on the paw facing us that show where the claws retract.  Erase the guide drawing.

How to Draw a Cat Lying Down

1. Draw the basic shapes to form the head, chest, torso, and rear. Remember that cats are longer than they are tall.
2. Add the guide lines to the face and add the ears, muzzle, and eyes.
3. Add the legs and tail. Draw through the shapes to make placing the legs on the other side of the body easier.
4. Either half erase your guide drawing, or draw on a new layer if working digitally. Detail the face.
5. Detail the body. Don't forget the little lines on the paws facing us that show where the claws retract.  Erase the guide drawing.

How to Draw a Cat Standing

1. Draw the basic shapes to form the head, chest, torso, and rear. Remember that cats are longer than they are tall.
2. Add the guide lines to the face and add the ears, muzzle, and eyes. This breed of cat (Siamese) has a muzzle that is slightly longer than usual.
3. Add the legs and tail. Draw through the shapes to make placing the legs on the other side of the body easier. Don't forget the dew claw on the raised front leg.
4. Either half erase your guide drawing, or draw on a new layer if working digitally. Detail the face.
5. Detail the body. Erase the guide drawing.

So that's it for the how to draw cats tutorials! I'll wrap the week up tomorrow by featuring some great cat art.