Then place the legs under the middle circle. As you can see in the template, you use small circles for the paws and the base of the legs, which you connect to the paws with strokes.
How to Draw Cats and Kittens – by J C Amberlyn (Paperback)
Cats are creatures of beauty and mystery. They live among us but have never quite been tamed, drawing the ire of some and the admiration of others. They keep rodents away from our homes and offer purring companionship for those they have deemed worthy of their attention. The feline form exudes grace and flexibility and can be a joy to draw.
Book Synopsis
Cats are creatures of beauty and mystery. They live among us but have never quite been tamed, drawing the ire of some and the admiration of others. They keep rodents away from our homes and offer purring companionship for those they have deemed worthy of their attention. The feline form exudes grace and flexibility and can be a joy to draw.
In this step-by-step guide, J. C. Amberlyn combines her love of cats with her beautiful, detailed drawing style in order to teach beginning artists to draw many different breeds of cats and kittens in pencil and pen-and-ink.
Cats are creatures of beauty and mystery. They live among us but have never quite been tamed, drawing the ire of some and the admiration of others. They keep rodents away from our homes and offer purring companionship for those they have deemed worthy of their attention. The feline form exudes grace and flexibility and can be a joy to draw.
How to Draw Cats and Kittens continues a rich tradition of cats in art. Covering all the most popular types of cats, as well as kittens, this book gives easy-to-follow instructions for drawing cats in many poses and a variety of expressions. Amberlyn includes basic information on art materials and the fundamental mechanics of drawing so that even beginners will feel confident and successful as they learn to produce highly detailed, lifelike drawings of their fluffy companions.
Review Quotes
“How to Draw Cats and Kittens is a joy just to browse through and admire the gorgeous illustrations. This is a wonderful book for children who are budding artists, and adults who are trying to rediscover their creative side.” – Ingrid King, The Conscious Cat
About the Author
J. C. Amberlyn is an artist, book author, photographer, animator, and naturalist. She is the author of Drawing Wildlife, Drawing Manga Animals, Chibis, and Other Adorable Creatures, The Artist’s Guide to Drawing Animals: How to Draw Cats, Dogs, and Other Favorite Pets; and How to Draw Manga Characters: A Beginner’s Guide. J. C. loves art, animation, animals, and adventure in the great outdoors. She seeks to create visual and written works of art that strike a chord with her audience, whether they celebrate the life that shares the planet with us or the rich inner workings of the human mind and experience. With her books, she shares techniques for creating epic stories, engaging characters, and appealing art for readers of all skill levels. Her work has received recognition and a number of awards and has been published in various media. She lives in Arizona.
Step 1: The head
Take a hard pencil, for example HB or H2. Draw the lines discreetly, as this will make them easier to erase in the event of a correction. You now sketch a head-circular circle.
You roughly structure the body with two circles. The first circle is larger than the head and is slightly tilted to the right side below it. With the second oval circle, you specify the position and size of the hindquarters. This part lies under the middle circle, slightly shifted to the right, in an upright position. Compare the picture of the template.
Step 3: Legs and tail
With a little sweep, draw the tail at the bottom right next to the oval. The tail lies on the ground in the step-by-step instructions. However, you can be creative and change the template a bit and, for example, give the cat an upright tail.
Then place the legs under the middle circle. As you can see in the template, you use small circles for the paws and the base of the legs, which you connect to the paws with strokes.
Step 4: First permanent contours
Now the kitty gradually takes shape. You turn to the head and put on the pointed ears. Then you connect the three main circles to form a body. Thus the cat now also has a neck. For now, parts of the legs disappear into the combined body oval.
IMPORTANT: You can trace the black lines on the template with the drawing pencil – they remain on the final image and represent the first permanent contours of the cat.
