How to Draw a Leopard
If you’d like to practice drawing wild cats, this tutorial is a great place to start. Now you will learn how to draw a leopard step by step. This is a predator with distinctive spotted coat.
Leopards live in a wide range of habitats, from forests to open grasslands. They are excellent climbers and often carry their prey into trees, where it is protected from other predators.
In this tutorial, you’ll draw a realistic leopard characteristic rosette pattern. Pay close attention to each step as you build the form and gradually add the details.
Time needed: 1 hour
How to Draw a Leopard
- Draw the basics.
Depict three rounded shapes of different sizes at some distance from each other. In this case, use thin lines, which can be easily removed later.
- Add the back, tail, and limbs.
From above, draw a smooth connecting line between the circles. Draw the outline of the tail. At the bottom, mark the location of the limbs using thin, straight lines.
- Sketch out the front of the muzzle.
This will be a simple step, but you must follow it correctly and give the leopard’s head the necessary shape. From the forehead, draw a line down, mark the outline of the nose and upper jaw.
- Depict the bottom of the head.
Continue the lines and add the wide open mouth and a lower jaw that blends into the neck.
- Draw the elements of the muzzle.
Here you have to draw two small elements. Draw the eye of the same shape as in the example and add the nose.
- Add the rest of the elements of the head.
With the help of smooth curved lines, draw two small ears, depict a row of teeth in the mouth and add the sharp fangs.
- Sketch out the upper parts of the front paws.
From the thoracic section, draw down smooth lines to give the forelimbs the necessary thickness.
- Draw the lower parts of the front paws.
Now continue the lines and depict the feet. With the help of short strokes in a semicircular shape, depict the fingers on each paw.
- Depict the upper parts of the hind legs.
Use guidelines and add thickness to the hind legs. The hind legs have a wide base and taper towards the bottom.
- Add the lower parts of the hind legs.
Draw the lower parts of the hind legs in the same way as the front ones. Use smooth lines to depict the sole and consistently depict the toes.
- Draw the belly and tail.
Add a connecting line from the thoracic region to the pelvis. Then draw a long, curved line to add thickness to the tail.
- Correct inaccuracies.
Now you have drawn all the main body parts of the leopard, and it’s time to prepare your drawing for coloring. Carefully remove all extra lines.
- Add the spots.
On the body of the leopard, draw the lot of rounded spots. Please note that the largest spots are located on the upper body and on the tail, and the spots on the head and lower parts of the paws are the smallest.
- Check your drawing again.
Evaluate your drawing and determine if you have drawn enough spots. If necessary, add spots to make your drawing as similar as possible to the sample.
- Color the leopard.
Color the lower part of the head and torso in light beige, color the upper part in orange. Don’t forget to add shadows where necessary.
So the fascinating lesson on how to draw a leopard came to an end. If you wish, you can improve your drawing and add some environment, for example, draw a beautiful nature in the background. As a result, you will get an excellent drawing, you will be proud of yourself. Do not forget to leave a short review about this lesson.
