In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a sitting Cheetah 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.

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To draw this Cheetah sitting 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 sitting cheetah's head and body. The circle on the top will be the head and the two circles below that 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: Inside the head circle, draw two curved lines as guides to help you place the facial features later on. On the bottom, left side of the head, draw a small circle as a guide for the cheetah's muzzle. Pay attention to the size and position of the muzzle in relation to the head circle. At the top, draw two short arcs as guides for the ears.

Step 3: Under the big circle in the middle, draw two long vertical lines as guides for the cheetah's front legs. Bend the lines to indicate the joints and the feet. The lines for the front legs should be lower than the bottom body circle. Under the bottom body circle, draw two more lines as guides for the hind feet. These lines should be more horizontal because the cheetah is sitting.

Step 4: Connect the head to the body using a couple of curved lines to create the guide for the cheetah's neck. Connect the body circles using longer, sloping lines to finish the guide for the torso. On the bottom, left side of the body, draw a long, curved 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 sitting cheetah.

Step 5: Inside the head, draw two small circles for the cheetah's eyes. Use the lines as guides to help you position the eyes inside the head. Make the sides of the shapes pointy for the corners of the eyes. Inside each eye, draw two small circles for the pupils and for highlights. Shade in the pupils. Near the top, left edge of the muzzle, draw a small triangle as a guide for the nose. Draw a few curved lines on the sides of the shape to create the nostrils and curve the top edge of the nose. Make the bottom tip pointy and add a vertical line at the bottom.

Step 6: Darken the arcs on top of the head for the ears. Add short strokes inside the shapes and along the bottoms for fur. Draw a line under the nose that splits into two to create the cheetah's mouth. Darken the left and bottom of the initial circle to create the rest of the muzzle. Use short strokes as you darken the lines to create a furry texture.

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Step 7: Darken the outer edge of the initial circle using short strokes to create the shape of the cheetah's head. Don't close off the shape on the right side to emphasize the connection of the head to the body. Draw a thin, curved shape from the eye on the right to the edge of the mouth for the tear-like marking. Shade in the marking. The bottom of the tear should be wider than the top. Add the tear on the left as well but make the shape thinner because the head is turned.

Step 8: Use the second line from the right that's under the body as a guide to draw the cheetah's front leg. First lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide. The overall shape of the leg should be thin but the top should be slightly wider. Use short strokes to create a furry texture. Inside each foot, draw a couple of short, curved lines to separate the toes. On the tip of each toe, draw a tiny, triangular shape for the claws.

Step 9: Use the line to the right as a guide to draw the cheetah's other front leg the same way. Draw the leg around the guide line and keep the shape thin. At the bottom, draw a curved line to separate the toes and add the claws at the tips of the tows. Draw the hind foot using the horizontal line to the left as a guide. The foot is resting, so it will be long. Draw a curved line above the foot for the folded leg. Add the toes and nails on the front of the foot.

Step 10: Darken the outer edges of the remaining guides to finalize the shape of the cheetah's body. Don't overlap the shapes of the legs as you darken the underside of the body. Draw the tail around the guide line on the bottom, left side. Use a series of short strokes as you darken the shapes to create a furry texture.

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 spotted pattern all over the cheetah's body. Draw each spot as a circle and shade it in using a dark value. The spots don't have to be perfect circles. Make the spots thinner along the sides to conform the figure. Don't add spots to the muzzle, chest or underside. Shade the rest of the body using a light value. Don't worry about overlapping the spots as you add the coat's value. Add a very light value for the white fur on the under side of the body. Use a medium value all over the boy 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. As you shade, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. 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 sitting cheetah. 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.

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