How to Draw a Lion: A Step by Step Guide

Use the placement cue to start around x29%/y27%. Draw the nearer ear first, then place the smaller far-ear arc behind it. Continue across the uneven crown and low brow towards the nose bridge.

Shape the open-paper nose edge and broad upper muzzle before adding the mouth, chin and short cheek return. Follow the visible stops and starts in the contour instead of closing the back of the head. Those open endpoints are intentional: the mane attaches to them later.

Look for this before moving on: the ears differ in size and angle, the muzzle points left without becoming canine-sharp, the crown and chin belong to one calm profile, and open space remains behind and below the head for the mane.

If it goes wrong: preserve the stronger ear, muzzle or chin. Replace only the newest profile section between two sound endpoints; do not enlarge the whole head around one misplaced line.

Place the near eye behind and slightly above the nose, keeping its small highlight open. Add the short brow fold and inner-ear fold, then mark the nostril and mouth split inside the fixed profile.

Draw the two restrained muzzle-pad arcs before the whiskers. Finish with exactly three tapered whiskers from the near muzzle pad, varying their length and angle. They should start beside the mouth area, not at the nose tip.

Look for this before moving on: eye, brow, nostril and mouth all follow the left-facing profile; the eye and nose retain open paper; two muzzle-pad arcs remain distinct; and three whiskers can be traced separately from root to tip.

If it goes wrong: keep the Stage 1 contour untouched. Replace only the newest eye, fold, nostril, mouth line, muzzle arc or whisker relative to the fixed nose bridge and jaw.

Draw the outer mane before its internal lines. Begin behind the ears, take an uneven contour around the rear head and shoulder, and bring the lower edge forward beneath the jaw. Make the mass fuller below and behind the face than above the crown. Leave one clear rear exit for the back and a different lower exit for the chest.

Now add five long, unequal flow divisions inside the mane. Let them follow the fall of the outer mass, but stop each line before it reaches the face or the outer edge. Avoid short repeated spikes: the divisions describe large locks rather than individual hairs.

Look for this before moving on: the face remains in front, the mane reads as one attached asymmetric mass, five long divisions are individually visible, and the chest and back exits do not meet as a dark collar.

If it goes wrong: retain the face and the sound part of the mane. Replace only the newest outer section or one flow division; do not fill, darken or scallop the junction to disguise a mismatch.

Start at the rear mane exit and carry the back gently down towards a rounded rump. Compare the visible length: from the mane to the rump, the torso is a little under two visible head lengths, about 1.8. Keep the shoulder a little higher than the rump.

Add the three small separated underside intervals shown in the image: the front chest return, the middle belly section and the rear underside section. Do not connect them into one continuous belly. The blank spaces between them reserve exact roots for the two forelegs and two hind legs; the tail root also remains hidden behind the upper rump.

Look for this before moving on: the back flows out of the mane, the rump is broad rather than pinched, the body is long without looking tubular, and distinct openings remain for every leg.

If it goes wrong: keep the mane and the more convincing body interval. Replace only the newest back, rump or underside curve between retained endpoints; never stretch the body by rejoining the mane.

Use the lower-chest opening for the nearer foreleg. Draw its chest-side edge down first, then the outer edge, letting the leg narrow gently towards a small wrist change. Avoid parallel sides.

Close one broad paw on the shared ground band and add three restrained toe divisions. The paw grows directly from the leg; it is not a separate shape placed underneath it.

Look for this before moving on: the leg forms a clean chest-to-ground support, the wrist changes direction without a sharp joint, the paw sits flat, and its toe marks stop inside the paw.

If it goes wrong: preserve the chest endpoint and the sound leg edge. Replace only the newest edge, wrist turn, paw lobe or toe division; do not thicken the mane or chest to hide the join.

Attach the farther foreleg behind the first. Keep it narrower, with separate visible upper and lower intervals, so the nearer leg still overlaps it. Let its smaller paw meet the same ground direction a fraction higher.

Add two visible toe divisions to the far paw. The gap between the two legs should change gently from chest to ground rather than forming two matching columns.

Look for this before moving on: two front legs are easy to count, the far leg stays narrower and partly behind, both paws carry weight, and their contours do not merge.

If it goes wrong: leave the completed near foreleg alone. Replace only the newest far-leg interval, paw edge or toe line; do not widen it until the pair becomes symmetrical.

Begin at the rump opening with the broad near thigh. Let its front return meet the waiting belly endpoint, then narrow the form through the rear-facing hock into the lower leg.

Close the rear paw on the same implied ground direction and add three toe divisions. The rump, thigh, hock and paw should read as one continuous support chain rather than an oval thigh with a foot added beneath it.

Look for this before moving on: the thigh is the largest leg mass, its front and back edges lead naturally into the hock, the paw reaches the ground band, and the body no longer appears unsupported at the rear.

If it goes wrong: keep the rump and fixed belly endpoint. Replace only the newest thigh, hock, lower-leg, paw or toe section; do not draw a second oval over the joint.

Build the farther hind leg before closing the belly. Start with the partly hidden upper interval behind the near thigh, continue into the narrower lower leg and add the smaller far paw with two visible toe divisions.

Only after that leg is readable, close the two short remaining underside gaps between the fixed leg roots. These are local connectors, not a new belly line. Stop each one as soon as it meets a leg.

Look for this before moving on: four different legs remain countable, the far hind leg stays behind the near thigh, its paw shares the ground direction, and exactly two short closures finish the underside without crossing a limb.

If it goes wrong: preserve the complete near hindquarter. Replace only the newest far-leg, paw, toe or short belly section between its existing endpoints; never run a long line through either hind leg.

The tail begins behind the upper rump, so its root is hidden. Draw the outer edge down from that concealed attachment, curve it outward and then up. Return with the second edge, steadily narrowing the gap to form a tapered stalk.

Open the tip into one small uneven tuft with five non-repeating outer points. Keep the tuft clear of the crop and the hind paw. No other contour, facial mark or leg changes in this stage.

Look for this before moving on: the root feels connected behind the rump, both edges converge through the curve, five unequal tuft points are traceable, and the complete tail clears the leg and page edge.

If it goes wrong: keep the rump and hind legs untouched. Replace only the newest tail edge or tuft point from the nearest stable point; do not widen the whole tail or reshape the rump to force the attachment.