Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Persian Cat" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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 as a guide for the Persian cat's head. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide.
Step 2: Inside the circle, draw two intersecting lines. These lines will help you place the Persian cat's facial features later.
Step 3: Draw a smaller circle inside the bottom half of the Persian cat's head as a guide for the muzzle.
Step 4: On top of the Persian cat's head, draw two small arcs similar to triangles as guides for the ears.
Step 5: Draw another circle on the right side as a guide for the back portion of the Persian's body. This circle should be almost twice as big as the first circle. Don't draw this circle too far away, otherwise the cat's body will be too long.
Step 6: Draw two curved lines to connect the circle to the head to complete the guide for the Persian's body.
Step 7: Draw four lines under the Persian's body as guides for the legs and on on the top right for the tail. Don't draw the lines too long. Bend them to indicate where the joints and feet will be. Add the long curved line on the top right side as a guide for the tail.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 8: Lightly sketch the Persian's eyes inside the head as circles using the lines as guides for placement. Darken the circles when you get the shape and placement right. Add a few lines on the shapes of the circles to shape the outside portion of the eyes. Draw a tiny circle inside each eye, off to the side, to represent glare. Draw a thin oval-like shape in the middle of each eye and shade them in for the slit pupil. Add a few short lines above and below the eyes for the fur around them. Shade in the rest of the eyeball. When you shade the eyeball, use a value that's lighter than the pupil. You can also use a slightly lighter value near the bottom of the eyeball for a rounder look.
Step 9: Draw the nose near the top of the Persian's muzzle by first lightly sketching a triangle. Make the edges of the nose curvier as you darken the lines and make the bottom pointier.
Step 10: Use the circle as a guide to draw the top part of the Persian's muzzle. First draw the mouth under the nose using a series of quick, short strokes to represent fur. The shape of the mouth should be similar to an upside-down letter V. Now follow the basic path of the circle to draw the top part of the muzzle using quick, short strokes. Add a few lines at the top to emphasize the short, flattened muzzle.
Step 11: Use the bottom edge of the circle as a guide to draw the Persian cat's chin under the mouth. Draw a few dots on either side of the muzzle for the base of the whiskers. Draw the whiskers coming from the dots using quick, long strokes.
Step 12: Use the arcs as guides to draw the Persian cat's ears on top of the head. Follow the path of the guides as you darken the lines and create the structure of the ears. Add a few lines inside the shape for the fur in the ears.
Step 13: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the head. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the basic path of the circle to create a furry texture. Make the sides of the head wider as you darken the lines.
Step 14: Use the lines on the left as guides to draw the Persian cat's front legs. Follow the basic path of the line and sketch the leg lightly at first to get the shape right. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. Use small curved lines at the bottom for the toes. Draw the leg on the other side the same way. Use quick, short strokes at the top for the fur.
Step 15: Now use the lines on the right side as guides to draw the hind legs. Remember to sketch lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the structure right. Make the base of the leg at the top wide and don't forget to add the toes at the bottom using small curved lines. Draw the last leg using the line as a guide but only draw the bottom part, as the top will be blocked by the body.
Step 16: Use the lines and shapes as guides to draw the Persian cat's body. Draw a series of lines to right the head to represent the overlapping fur. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the path of the guides to represent the long fur. The longer these strokes are, the longer the fur will seem.
Step 17: Use the line on the top right as a guide to draw the tail. Use longer strokes as you follow the basic path of the guide for a fluffier tail.
Step 18 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step (optional):Add some shading to your Persian cat drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Add the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want. Use long strokes as you shade to emphasize the long hair of the coat. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. You can add the value to different sections of the body at a time to break up the shading process. Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the Persian cat so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your Persian cat drawing for extra detail. You can skip this step entirely for a white cat. Cats have a variety of coats, so you can shade your however you'd like. Try to add the value by using strokes that go in the general direction of the cat's fur. Cats can have stripes, spots or large patches on their coat. For large patches, block out large sections of the coat with a darker value. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The rough value gives the coat a furry texture. It's always a good idea to use reference when drawing for a more accurate drawing. If you have a pet Persian, try to duplicate its pattern on your drawing. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Persian Cat" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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