In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Lion step-by-step.

 

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

To draw a Lion step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

 

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

 

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

 

 

Step 1: Draw a circle near the left side of the paper as a guide for the lion's head. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a bottle cap or any other object with a circular edge. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

 

Step 2: Draw a curved, horizontal line across the head to help you add the lion's facial features later. Add a curved, vertical line on top of the first line for another construction line.

 

 

Step 3: Draw a small circle on the bottom half of the head as a guide for the lion's muzzle. Pay attention to the size of this circle in relation to the head. The bottom edge should be outside the main circle.

 

Step 4: On top of the head, on the sides, draw two small arcs as guides for the lion's ears.

 

 

Step 5: Below the head, draw a big circle as a guide for the front part of the lion's body. Like with the head, make some marks to indicate the circle's height and width, and then connect the marks using curved lines. Pay attention to the size of this circle in relation to the head. It should be a little to the right of the lion's head.

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Step 6: Add the guide for the second half of the body by first making a small mark on the far right side. Now connect the small mark to the front part of the lion's body using a couple of long, curved lines to create a big arc. This guide should be similar to a giant letter U on its side. You can rotate your paper so that it's easier to draw.

 

Step 7: Under the big circle, draw a thin, long arc as a guide for the first arc. The arc should be at the bottom of the circle and stretch to left. Above this guide, draw a similar line as a guide for the lion's other front leg.

 

 

Step 8: Inside the body, near the right, draw a curved line as the guide for the top part of the hind leg. At the bottom, draw a long, horizontal line as a guide for the lower part of the lion's hind leg.

 

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

 

 

Step 9: Lightly sketch the lion's eyes inside the head as two small circles. Use the initial lines as guides for position and size. When you get the shapes right, darken the lines. Add a couple of lines above the eyes to create the outside shape. Add a curved line under each circle to finish the outer eye shapes. Use a few short strokes on the side to represent fur. Inside each eye, near the top, draw a tiny dot for the lion's pupils.

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Step 10: Lightly sketch a small triangle along the bottom edge of the first circle for the lion's nose. When you get the size and position right, darken the lines. Make the top sides longer. On each side, darken a small oval for the lion's nostrils. Add a short line at the bottom and darken the top edge.

 

Step 11: Under the nose, draw a line that's splits into two for the lion's mouth. The lines should curve to the sides of the small circle, but they shouldn't be too long.

 

 

Step 12: Continue to draw the line on the left side to create the muzzle. Curve the line upward so that it almost touches the top of the lion's nose. Use the bottom edge of the initial circle as a guide to create the chin. Draw the chin/side of the muzzle along the path of the guide and use short strokes for fur.

 

Step 13: Draw a series of strokes along the bottom edge of each ear. These strokes represent the part of the mane that is in front of each ear. Darken the initial arcs using a series of short strokes to create the shapes of the lion's ears.

 

 

Step 14: Use a series of short strokes inside the head to create the inner edge of the lion's mane. Draw an arc that's made up of short strokes on the upper, left side. Use the construction lines as guides. Add some short lines on the side of the eyes and muzzle to give the lion's face more structure. Add another arc that's made up of short strokes on the top, right side for more of the mane. Continue to draw the strokes toward the bottom and add some lines inside the face for more structure.

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Step 15: Lightly sketch a few short strokes from the ear on the left to the front leg for the inner section of the lion's mane. When you get this shape right, darken the short strokes. Pay attention to the distance between the face and the strokes. Draw a similar shape that's made up of short strokes on the right side too. Add some strokes at the top between the ears. Don't make this shape too big. This is only the inside section of the lion's mane.

 

Step 16: Add more short strokes around the head for the outer section of the mane. Sketch the strokes lightly at first so that it's easy to erase them if you don't get the shape right the first time. The right side of the mane goes over the front leg and stretches toward the right side of the lion's body. Use the initial big circle as a guide to draw the mane. When you get the shape right, darken the strokes. Don't make each stroke too long, or the mane will start to look stringy. Just draw the overall shape with short strokes. Add another series of short strokes at the top of the lion's head, above the first section.

 

 

Step 17: Use the initial arc- like shape under the head as a guide to draw the lion's first front leg. Follow the basic path of the guide but make the shape a bit wavier as you darken it. At the tip of the foot, draw a few short, curved lines to separate the individual toes and for the claws. On the right side, at the elbow, draw a series of short strokes for the bit of fur found there.

 

Step 18: Use the curved line above as a guide to draw the lion's other front leg the same way. Follow the basic path of the guide but make the shape of the foot thinner as you darken the lines. At the tip, draw a few short lines to separate the toes and for the claws.

 

 

Step 19: Darken the lower, right side of the initial big arc to create the lower edge of the lion's tail. Above that, draw another curved line that's parallel to the bottom one for the top edge of the tail. At the end of the lines on the left, draw a series of short strokes for the tuft of hair at the tip of the lion's tail.

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Step 20: Darken the shape to the left of the lion's tail to create the hind foot. Make the shape thinner than the guide. Add a couple of lines at the tip for the toes. Draw a few strokes on the right side to complete the shape of the foot. Darken the curved line at the top to finish the shape of the lion's hind leg.

 

Step 21: To the left of the foot, draw a long, thin shape for the visible part of the other hind foot peeking from behind. This foot is on its side, so at the tip, draw a series of short, curved lines for the lion's pads.

 

 

Step 22: Darken the top part of the initial big arc to finish the shape of the lion's body. Make the top, left side a bit angled to give the hip some structure.

 

Step 23: Carefully go over the final sketch lines with a pen, marker or any other type of permanent ink. Don't push down too hard with your pen. Ink lightly for less pronounced lines. After inking your lion drawing, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser for a cleaner drawing.

 

 

Final Step: Color your lion drawing! Use yellow as a base color for the body. Color lightly at first. Then add yellow-orange on top of the yellow and mix the two colors. The whole process of coloring basically involves lightly adding similar colors together to achieve a result you like.

Use brown for the lion's nose, the eyes, the outer section of the mane, the tip of the tail and elbow tuft. Color those sections lightly at first too and gradually add darker colors. Use a mix of lighter colors like yellow, yellow-orange and orange for the inner section of the lion's mane. This way of coloring is a very time-consuming process, so be patient and take breaks. For a simpler drawing, simply use a single color, like yellow for the lion's body and dark brown for the mane.

Use dark brown for the shadows inside the lion's ears and for shading on the face to give it structure. Continue to slowly add similar colors on top of each other until your happy with the result. Use strokes that go in the overall direction of the hair strands when you color the mane. Use dark brown along the bottom of the body to create shadows. Use a mixture of gray, brown and a bit of purple to create a cast shadow under the lion's body.

Some lions have very dark manes, so you can add more dark brown and black if you'd like. If you want your lion to have a lighter mane, skip this part and use a blend of yellow, light brown and orange instead. You can break up the coloring process by coloring different sections at a time. Do the lion's mane first, and then come back later and do the body and so on. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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