How to Draw Cats: Step by Step Sketching Tutorial for Beginners

[@artprof]

See Julie Benbassat sketch Prof Lieu's guinea pigs in our Creature Design tutorial! kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5LWf5-jept8eNE

[@jaydan3034]

17:38 "the drawings i like the most are not necessarily the most detailed" YES

[@blackthornbark]

I LOVE drawings capturing the feeling of someone's presence or their personality rather than their detailed appearance!! I often work with random city birds or dogs on a walk because the timeframe for me to draw is mere seconds and I really can focus on the essentials instead of pushing the set time further and going for a full portrait. Really one of my fav kinds of excercise! And thank you for all your videos!

[@artprof]

Awesome!!! That's great to hear! -Prof Lieu

[@ADarkDreamer]

Fantastic video. The energy is great throughout. The tips are great. The cats... are GREAT.

[@artprof]

Thank you for watching! Our video on drawing on site in Guangzhou, China also has some cat drawings when we visit a cat cafe. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpnZlXx5qL1krZI -Prof Lieu

[@miklosnemeth8566]

1:55 Exactly this is the professional way of sharpening pencils, especially watercolor and pastel pencils. I love it.

[@artprof]

I find that some types of pencils just fall apart when you use a pencil sharpener. I've had to switch to using an xacto knife by necessity! -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@ladyjmarie5569]

I struggle with my art and overthinking but stuff like this reminds me why I love and enjoy being an artist.

[@artprof]

Yes, sometimes you just need to draw a cat! - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@ladyjmarie5569]

@@artprof yes and I have one of those who loves to pose, lol, 😸

[@jaydan3034]

14:35 i dont know why but i love this drawing so much

[@theknittingkninja]

To hear prof. Lieu say that her expectation in a gesture session is to only get a few things that she likes really changed the way I think about this exercise and has made me feel less like a failure when I do it! I’ve been avoiding gesture sessions because I am always unhappy with how they turn out on the page, but since watching this video I’ve been doing gestures on loose computer paper and giving myself permission to throw them out after I salvage the two or three really nice poses that I’m proud of.

[@rynjeff1073]

I truly appreciate the honest discussions in this video. Thank you.

[@artprof]

My pleasure!

[@kevinsturges6957]

Not only are the paintings gorgeous, I love the look of your living room.

[@artprof]

I love the paintings too! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@soy__drea]

I cannot believe I missed this one with the love I have for cats! Thank you! 💚😊

[@artprof]

We're glad you liked it!! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@christineschneider3341]

New to channel. Untrained, never took an art class and not sure how to improve. Drew my cat tonight. I love how this gives permission to be imperfect.

[@artprof]

We're so happy you found us!!! Happy drawing :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@picolette47]

I recently started to practice animal gesture drawing and I love to use the live cams that some zoos have for free online. I especially like the live videos from the San Diego zoo as there is a good variety of animals you can observe and the quality is pretty good. Just thought I’d share that with you since I find it’s a great ressource.

[@artprof]

That's such a great idea! I will definitely be trying that during my next sketching session - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@GalyaCosmopolit]

OMG I love this tutorial!! I thought you can only do gesture drawing with a nude model, which is not very accessible. Now I feel so inspired!! Although I have to cats, neither do my friends, I think of going to one of that cat caffe and draw there.

[@artprof]

Thank you, and omg so funny that you mention going to a cat cafe, because in our "Drawing in Guangzhou" tutorial we go to a cat cafe to draw! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpnZlXx5qL1krZI -Prof Lieu

[@small_juice_box]

Gesture drawings really are a great way to see how different people's styles are. Seeing the amount of difference in the two styles shown in the video is amazing. Both have their own flair and I love it! I'm also loving the two kitties hehehe❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@artprof]

I totally agree, there is something so unique about each one of them!! - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@artsyavede]

Loved this video! It was extremely helpful and informative :)

[@artprof]

Awesome, thank you!

[@virginiapeterson1404]

I love this lady

[@Slepnir123]

I find that you can use the gesture as a start for a drawing to get the main shape and composition on the page. You can then start and see where you end up. It shows and can contrast with the more resolved drawing.

[@artprof]

That’s a good way to set a foundation for the drawing, great tip! - Hema Somaya, Art Prof Staff

[@raerae6422]

Came here from your 5 min cat gesture vid. My drawings are so stiff. This video is a game changer for me. Thanks heaps

[@artprof]

Wow that's awesome!!! Thank you so much for watching :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@shabnamnikkhoo2169]

Thank you for this amazing video. I started drawing seriously with gesture drawing and I did it for a year before getting into other things, it was so liberating and taught me how to see and what to look for. It needs to stay true to the subject by uncovering all these unnecessary layers to get to the core very quickly.

[@shortyangel2010]

I love how informative this was!

[@artprof]

Thanks for watching! -Lauryn, Art Prof Teaching Artist

[@tissy327]

Thank you, thank you! This really tells me a lot! Appreciate your dedicaiton & time!

[@artprof]

You are so welcome! -Prof Lieu

[@darthbee18]

24:11 OMG that cat drawing 😻😻😻, so cozy 😭😭😭 I think this video really pointed out the problems I have with the way I draw 😫🙀😢 - my drawing is too "tight" and I am (too) line oriented ("There is no line in life, what students see are edges" and that got me really hard 😫). While my final drawing often doesn't have lots of fine details (something I need to work on too, but that's another story), it always feels neat and taut. I always rely on the blocks for underlying structures of my drawing, and while it's really helpful for drawing things out of your imagination, the result sometimes feels a bit stiff. I need to find a way to make my drawing looks more dynamic and alive, and I think gesture drawing might just be the first step to figure that out.

[@artprof]

Thank you so much for sharing this comment with us! So many people struggle with the exact problem you're talking about-- achieving a loose gesture drawing can be super hard. You can do it, the Art Prof community is here cheering you on! This Anatomy for Artist playlist has some cool tips for drawing human anatomy that might help you out, feel free to check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXyUdmmbhN2ce7s -Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staf

[@JessicaCinNY]

I'm so excited to have found this video! I've been getting a bit discouraged sketching my two big, fluffy Maine Coon-ish cats but I feel much better now after watching and realize I need to just relax about getting perfect proportions, form, etc. And to use the fur pattern and direction to describe the form. I really enjoyed seeing the process of both artists sketching, and loved both their styles, as well as their honest discussion about their own insecurities. I've watched this twice now, taken notes, but still haven't improved. Obviously, it's because I don't have F-C pencils and Legion paper. Ha! Honestly, this is one of my favorite art instruction videos I've watched and I've watched hundreds, no exaggeration. The cats were a major plus and kept me giggling. My ginger looks a lot like Tor but is far less cooperative in modeling. He gives me a dirty look and turns his back on me when I try to sketch him. My other cat, a black one, actually leaves the room! Do you know of any decent cat manikins for artists? Any ideas for making my own? Thanks so much for all your valuable info and time. Jessica

[@artprof]

Glad to hear the video was useful! We had so much fun with Lauryn's cats. We would love for you to join our Discord Server, we have tons of conversations everyday about art, and you can post your work for critiques from our staff and other people too! Here is the invite link: discord.gg/g5XQRpT -Prof Lieu

[@JessicaCinNY]

@@artprof Thank you so much! I will def check it out.

[@yunyunus66]

Love love love this video. My cat yano looks exactly like him.

[@JumpdeArt]

I enjoyed this :3 very cool, and was the purrrfect help! Thanks ^^

[@SingingASMRSongs]

Finally watched this great advice, thank you 🙏❤️❤️❤️

[@johnpaulorallo1956]

I'll do more gesture drawings after the quarantine. Thanks for this!

[@artprof]

You should participate in our May Art Dare, which asks people to do gesture drawings by watching a TV show or movie: artprof.org/art-dares/2020-may/ -Prof Lieu

[@dandanzinhas2]

This is really great ♥️

[@KarenKaffenberger]

Clara, I think it was you who mentioned in the video that it takes you at least an hour to get warmed up. Ideally, how long a session should one strive for? (BTW, my ginger 'art cat' would never leave my pencils alone if he was laying that close--he would be stealing them!) Great tips also.

[@artprof]

Hi! I think it varies greatly from artist to artist. For me, I need at least 2 hours to be productive and really sharpen my eye. However, I've definitely been in situations where I only had minutes to draw and that was it! This tutorial on drawing on site in Taiwan is a good example of that, sometimes I had just a few minutes to squeeze in a quick piece: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3PHiGCVlN98gbM

[@KarenKaffenberger]

@@artprof TY!

[@artprof]

Happy to help!😀

[@laurynwelch2081]

Tor doesn’t steal things, but he has laser-like intent to step in any unattended paint or gesso and then track footprints everywhere!

[@Sketchrcat]

for gesture drawing the pencil should be held the same way one would draw a gesture sketch for figure drawing; to employ using the side of the pencil; not its tip when drawing. If one holds as one normally holds a pencil as in for writing, stiffness will be the result in the gesture drawing. Also the pencil should be held at its middle point, not close to the tip. Close to the tip holding will automatically tighten up the flow of the pencil & make, especially students, to have a death grip on the pencil.

[@artprof]

Good explanation! I do think it depends on the individual artist, everyone is unique in how they hold their pencil so I think whatever works is fine!

[@laurynwelch2081]

Totally agree with some positions causing stiffness over time. I also think it’s a matter of scale. On a larger canvas like 18x24” newsprint, I would definitely be holding my pencil or paintbrush closer to the midpoint because making my wrist work to travel that space is just too inefficient. Using a smaller paper means compensating with positions that accommodate smaller movements.

[@김홍익-o2p]

WOW this is really helpful!

[@artprof]

김홍익 thank you!

[@jacipetrie1194]

Reminds me of the PEAR EXERCISE I did with my daughter at the age of 10. One pear, 20 drawings and each time I pointed out something she was not considering. No1 and No. 2 were miles apart.

[@artprof]

That sounds like a great exercise! -Prof Lieu

[@marlenabromschwig9911]

What was the time of each gesture drawing? one minute? for example.

[@artprof]

I think most of the drawings were 1-3 minutes, although Lauryn did do that one drawing that she spent much longer on, that one was probably more like 15 minutes or so. -Prof Lieu

[@bluewren65]

I have five cats. Much of my life is taken up with feeding premium food and then picking up the poop that comes out the other end. Clearly, I have not been making adequate use of my gorgeous felines! I even take one of them to the studio with me. Re proportions: I've done a series of lino cuts featuring the Tasmanian Forest Raven. I'm a veterinarian in my spare time so the bulk of birds that I see up close and personal are parrots. No matter what I did, my ravens kept looking like parrots - in other words, I was drawing the anatomy I was familiar with. I decided that the only way around this was to measure the proportions, draw them and get them in my head. It worked. After that, drawing ravens, no probs. Interestingly, after that exercise I can draw any bird without making them look like parrots. Brilliant and dirty rotten trick to put a box down to get the cats to sit still. Gotta love the way cats never do what you want them to do, even when it actually is what they themselves would like to do :))

[@artprof]

Cats are so stubborn sometimes! They're amazing to draw, but at what cost... Haha, that's such a great learning experience regarding your parrot-esq bird drawings. It sounds amazing to have a job that brings so many cool animals (or drawing subjects) into your life :) - Mia Rozear, Art Prof Staff

[@csengegelcz9103]

Do you have any alternetive for the big pencil that are not that bad but cheaper ? I cant afford them 😅

[@artprof]

Hmmm-- vine charcoal is a nice tool for gesture drawing that shouldn't break the bank! We have some resources here for buying art materials on a budget, feel free to check them out: artprof.org/resources/art-supplies/art-supplies-on-a-budget-get-away-with-paying-less/ - Mia, Art Prof Staff

[@csengegelcz9103]

@@artprof thank you so much ! I agree but im 14 so I dont have that much money 😅

[@snake4342001]

😼🙀"Don't go!" Hahaha great video

[@artprof]

Thanks 😆

[@vvani11a]

How old are you’re students ?

[@attheranch873]

👍😀

[@AceHardy]

🔥

[@meganbearz]

You have to make a lot of bad drawings to make good drawings. Depositing that in the memory bank!

[@artprof]

Yay!

[@cbra736]

Where's the sense of drawing blind and fast if it looks just stupid? (Rhetorical question...)