How to draw a cat walking

Step 1 of 52Guide lines

Head and body guides

Smudge has crept into the attic. Lightly, draw a circle for her head on the left, a big oval for her body beside it, and a small haunch circle at its lower right.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 37.

Step 2 of 52Guide lines

Leg guides

Two lines for the front legs, both slanting down to the left: one from under her chin, one from the bottom of the body oval. Each ends where its paw touches the beam.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 37.

Step 3 of 52Guide lines

Tail guide

One long curve down the middle of her tail: from the right side of the body oval, dip down and sweep out to the right, lifting a little at the tip.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 37.

Step 4 of 52

Her head

Now the real lines: from the top of the head circle, up to the left ear's tip and down its outside. Then down her cheek, round her chin and up the right side.

Step 5 of 52

The right ear

A little zigzag up her right cheek, then straight on up round the right ear's tip and down. One short stroke across the top of her head joins the ears.

Step 6 of 52

Inside the ears

Inside each ear, a line from near the tip down to the head circle: one in the left ear, then two in the right, one down each side.

Step 7 of 52

The eyes

Left eye: a ring from its top left, clockwise, a flick at its inner corner, a tall pupil, a tiny glint top right. Then the right eye, from its outer corner, glint also top right.

Step 8 of 52

Nose and mouth

From between her eyes down to the nose, over its top, down the middle and right along the mouth. Then the nose's left edge, the mouth's left side and one short dash.

Step 9 of 52

Her back

Her back is short, overlapping strokes, like fur. Start behind the right ear, go over the top of the body oval, then one long line down to her rump and a tiny dash beside it.

Step 10 of 52

The near front leg

From under her chin, follow the leg guide down, round the paw and back up the right side to her chest. Then a wavy line across the wrist and two toe lines.

Step 11 of 52

The far front leg

From the bottom of the body oval, down the leg guide, round the paw and up its left side to her chest. Then a line across the wrist and three toe lines.

Step 12 of 52

The near back leg

Her near back paw tucks under the oval: from the far front leg, along under her belly, down round the paw and up the haunch circle's front. Then a curve across, two toes, a dash.

Step 13 of 52

Under her belly

Under her belly, just behind the near back paw: five short strokes of fur, left to right, hanging along the bottom of the body oval.

Step 14 of 52

The far back leg

From the haunch, one line down the back of the leg, under the paw and up round its front. Then the leg's front edge from the belly, two toes and a dash.

Step 15 of 52

The tail

The tail in one line: from the end of her back, out along the tail a finger's width above the guide, round the tip, and back below it to her haunch.

Step 16 of 52

Fur in the ears

Little tufts of fur, each from the top: four in the left ear's opening and three running down onto her forehead, then five in the right ear and one on its outer edge.

Step 17 of 52

Her brow

Three thin marks on her brow, above the right eye's inner end, each drawn from the top so they close in to a point.

Step 18 of 52

Fur on her face

Eight tiny fur marks, left to right: two on her left cheek, one by the left eye's inner corner, one beside her nose, then four just right of the right eye.

Step 19 of 52

Whiskers on the left

Four long whiskers on the left, each one quick, light flick from the muzzle outwards, fanning from straight out to steeply down.

Step 20 of 52

Whiskers on the right

Then four on the right, also from the muzzle out, fanning down over her chest.

Step 21 of 52

Fur under her chin

Below the whiskers, under her chin: three strokes in a row running down to the right. Then on top of the near front leg, one longer line down and two little tufts.

Step 22 of 52

Fur on her chest

Chest fur: five short strokes on her chest, four in a row below them, then four more running right towards the far front leg.

Step 23 of 52

Fur on her shoulder

Fur on her shoulder: seven short flicks behind her neck, then ten down the back of her shoulder, each drawn from the top.

Step 24 of 52

Fur on her haunch

Fur on her haunch: four flicks on her side, six down the front of the haunch circle and three at its foot. Then two rows at its back, three and five, and one low down.

Step 25 of 52

Her stripes

Her stripes, each one quick zigzag across the tail: one on her rump, then five along the tail, left to right. Last, a little zigzag along the tail's underside.

Step 26 of 52

The beam's back edge

Now the beam she walks on. Its back edge in four pieces, broken by her body: left of the near paw, between the front paws, between haunch and tail, and out past the tail.

Step 27 of 52

The beam's front

The beam's front edge: one long straight line from the bottom left, under her front paws, up to the right edge. Then its bottom edge, lower down, coming back from the right.

Step 28 of 52

Wood grain

Wood grain: long, light lines along the beam, all running up to the right like its edges. Work from left to right.

Step 29 of 52

The post

The post holding up the beam, on the right: its left edge straight down from the beam, its right edge, then three lines between them.

Step 30 of 52

The trunk

A trunk behind her head: two curves for the lid's end past her ear, its top, its rounded end and corner, its bottom edge, the trunk's bottom, and a band by her face.

Step 31 of 52

The trunk's details

The trunk's details: a curved band over the lid, a line along its rim and a few small marks. Then a little curve at its bottom corner and the handle, in one loop.

Step 32 of 52

The floor

The attic floor behind the beam: three long boards on the left, running back past the trunk, and two short dashes below them, then four behind her tail on the right.

Step 33 of 52

The rafters

The roof's rafters, each from its low end up to the top: three over the trunk, three over her head, three over her back, and one at the far right, leaning the other way.

Step 34 of 52

The roof boards

The roof boards across between the rafters, left to right: two short ones in the top left corner, then five longer ones, sloping gently down to the right.

Step 35 of 52

The window

A small round window high on the right: one circle. Then the frame's left half in one line, round the lower-left pane and on round the upper-left one, then two L-shaped corners on the right.

Step 36 of 52

The cobweb

In the far right corner, a cobweb: three threads fanning down from one point and a fourth beside them, bending left at its foot. Then seven short sagging threads across them.

Step 37 of 52

Erase the guides

Rub out the guide shapes. Smudge and the attic stay.

Step 38 of 52

Go over her head

Now press harder round Smudge, so she stands out from the attic: the ears, the cheeks, the chin and jaw. The whiskers and the fur on her face stay light.

Step 39 of 52

Go over the front legs

Then both front legs, down each side and round the paws. A firm line where the paws meet the beam makes her grip the wood.

Step 40 of 52

Go over her back and tail

Along her back, over the hump of her shoulders and round the tail. Short pressed strokes keep the furry edge.

Step 41 of 52

Go over the back legs

Last, both back legs and their paws. The beam, the trunk and the roof all stay thin, so Smudge is the boldest thing in the attic.

Step 42 of 52

Shading her head

Shading now, with the moonlight from the window on the right. A soft, light tone down the left side of her face, away from the light, and inside both ears.

Step 43 of 52

Shoulder and chest

A light tone under her chest and down the far front leg, where her body turns away from the light.

Step 44 of 52

The haunch

The haunch is a round shape: tone down its front, where it tucks against her side, darkest low down and fading as it goes up.

Step 45 of 52

Round the haunch

Then round the back of the haunch, down the far back leg and along the underside of the tail.

Step 46 of 52

The near leg

The near front leg, in shadow under her chin: an even tone down its length, a little lighter on the paw.

Step 47 of 52

Deeper shadows

Press a little harder in the deepest places: inside the ears, under the chin, behind the near leg and where the far leg meets her chest.

Step 48 of 52

Under the haunch

Darker again under her belly, between the back legs and on the tail's stripes. The darks underneath keep her low to the beam.

Step 49 of 52

Her shadow

Her shadow on the beam: a soft tone under the near leg and paw, so she presses down onto the wood.

Step 50 of 52

Shadow under her

Then under her body and her back paws. Keep the rest of the beam and the attic pale, so she stands out against it.

Step 51 of 52

The trunk's shadows

Just a touch on the trunk in the corner: the dark edges of its lid and band, to tuck it back into the gloom.

Step 52 of 52

The darks

Last of all, fill in the pupils, leaving each glint white. Big, dark pupils catch the moonlight and make her look wide awake.