How to draw a lion? Body structure analysis and step-by-step instructions

The lion is a royal animal, possessing feline grace and royal appearance. Not surprisingly, many artists often refer to the image of this beast. True draw it is not only professional painters, but also those who have just started to make the first steps in the field of fine arts.

How to draw a lion so that it looks like a realistic animal with the right proportions? For this you can periodically call in your head the image of an ordinary domestic cat. After all, this little prankster is in direct, albeit not very close, kinship with the royal person.

In this article, we will tell you how to draw a full-length lion in two versions: cartoonish and realistic. Both examples are designed for beginners in the field of art. Therefore, lessons will show readers how to draw a lion in stages. This will simplify the process and make it more enjoyable. And people who decide to take advice on how to draw a lion, with a high probability of being satisfied with the result of their labors. So, let's get started.

We'll start with the simplest task - how to draw a lion in an animated version. To begin with, you must sketch a trapezoid with rounded corners - the basis of the muzzle of the animal. Then add two circles-abalone and an acute-angled trapezium of slightly smaller area - the body of the beast. After that draw four semicircles in the base of the image (paws) and outline the location of the mane (red oval).

Now draw a regal hair, add a tail, erase all unnecessary lines and color the lion. Do not forget about the muzzle: a triangular nose, eyes and mouth. You can add a mustache, crown and other elements of the decor at the request of the artist. Cartoon king of beasts is ready.

Let's move on to a more complex task - how to draw a lion in pencil in full growth in a realistic performance. Just in this case, you can come in handy walking around by itself a pet. After all, it is here that the characteristic features of the structure of the feline's body as a whole and the lion in particular will be noted.

So, let's start by drawing two circles, one slightly more than the other. Thus the distance between them should be equal to half of the larger figure. We connect them with two lines: the upper one will be almost horizontal, and the second one will pass under the slope from the larger circle to the smaller one. This is the specificity of the structure of the cat's figure, which we will consider below. Next, we sketch the base of the muzzle and draw the paws. We form a clearer picture, add neck, ears and tail.

Pay attention: if you decide to draw a lioness, you will just have to stop at this stage, clearly drawing all the necessary lines and removing unnecessary ones. For the same to portray not the tsarina, but the tsar, you only need to add a mane. Do not forget that it covers almost a third of the animal's body, so do not be stingy. The long coat reaches almost to the middle of the back and abdomen of the male.

Now a little more about the structure of large cats. The humeral girdle of this graceful family is larger than the pelvic, but the hind legs are longer than the forelegs due to the hock joint. This applies to all cats, so remembering such a simple fact, you can easily draw a tiger and a cheetah using this scheme, only slightly changing some details. So, the tiger will be more massive than the king of beasts, and the cheetah is fried and long-legged. This information will help you to realistically depict a lion, even if you do not have step-by-step instructions at your fingertips.