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

Stay tuned for more free drawing lessons by:

Liking us on Facebook>>

Subscribing on YouTube.com>>

Following us on Instagram>>

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.

RELATED TUTORIALS

To draw this running Tiger 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.

Below you can watch a Narrated 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 so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 1: Start by drawing three circles as guides for the tiger's head and body. The circle on the left side will be the head and the two circles in the middle will be the body. To draw each circle, first make four marks to determine the height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circles, just trace the outer rims of circular objects like coins or bottle caps. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle. Pay attention the sizes and spacing of the circles.

Step 2: On top of the circle on the left (the head circle), draw a small arc as a guide for the tiger's ear. On the left side of the head circle, draw a small, angled line as a guide for the muzzle. Under the body circles, draw two lines as guides for the legs. Bend the line on the left to indicate the joints on the front leg. The line on the right for the hind leg should be diagonal. Pay attention to the sizes of these lines in relation to the circles.

Step 3: Inside the head circle, draw a sloping line as a guide to help you place the tiger's facial features later on. Connect the head to the body using short lines to create the guides for the neck. Connect the circles in the middle using longer, curved lines to finish the guide for the torso.

Step 4: Draw another set of lines under the body circles as guides for the tiger's legs that are on the other side of the body. Bend the lines to indicate the joints. On the top, right side of the body, draw a long, wavy line as a guide for the tail.

That's it for the guidelines! From this point on, press down harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing of a running tiger.

Step 5: Inside the head, draw a small circle for the tiger's eye. Place the eye above the sloping guide line and close to the top edge of the muzzle. Draw sloping lines to create the outer shape of the eye. Inside the eye, draw a tiny dot for the pupil. Near the tip of the muzzle, draw a triangular shape for the nose. Draw the nose above the guide line. On the right side, draw a curved line and shade in the shape for the nostril.

Step 6: Under the nose, draw a line that curves to the right as a guide for the tiger's mouth. The line should end at the head circle. Under the mouth, draw a curved line that's made up of short strokes to create the furry chin. Darken the arc at the top for the ear. Make the sides of the ear wavier as you darken the shape. Add a few lines inside the shape for the ear's opening and for fur.

---

Step 7: Darken the outer edges of the guides to create the rest of the tiger's head. At the top, draw a small curved line for the other ear. Use short strokes along the bottom o create a furry texture. Extend the shape of the head farther to the right than the initial head circle.

Step 8: Use the long, angled line that's under the head as a guide to draw the tiger's front leg. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide line. The top of the leg should be wide and then it should gradually get narrower toward the foot. Curve the lines to indicate the muscle structure. On the tip of the foot, draw a few curved lines for the toes. Sketch lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. Use the diagonal line on the left as a guide to draw the hind leg the same way. Draw the leg around the guide line and add the toes at the bottom.

Step 9: Use the other angled lines under the body as guides to draw the tiger's other set of legs. Draw the shapes of the legs around the guide lines. The tops of these legs will be hidden behind the first set of legs, so only draw the visible sections. Add a few curved lines along the edges of the feet for the toes.

Step 10: Darken the outer edges of the remaining guide lines to create the shape of the tiger's body. Use short strokes along the underside of the body for a furry texture. Darken the line on the right for the tail. Make the tail wider by drawing another wavy lines below the original tail guide.

Step 11: 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 you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Add the distinctive striped pattern all over the body using a dark value. Draw each stripe as a thin, pointy shape and shade it in. Use short stripes on the head and longer stripes along the body. Curve the stripes to conform to the shape of the head. Tigers can have a variety of stripes, so you can draw yours differently if you'd like. After you add the stripes, shade the rest of the body using a light value. Don't shade the area around the eye or under the head and body for the white fur. Add a medium value throughout the body to create shadows. Pick a light source as you shade so that the shadows are consistent across the body. Here the light source is coming from the top so most of the shadows will be on the underside of the shapes. Shade lightly at first and gradually build up to darker values. For light values, push down very lightly on your pencil and push down harder for darker values. Add a cast shadow at the bottom using a medium value. It's a good idea to use reference as you shade for a more accurate depiction of a tiger. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Thanks for visiting! Subscribe to the How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every week.

To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

To learn how to draw Manga, visit How2DrawManga.com.

RELATED TUTORIALS