How to Draw a Lion

This big cat, with its distinctive mane and tail, is an impressive drawing to add to your repertoire.

Learn how to draw this lion.
Learn how to draw this lion.

In this section, we’ll show you how to draw the above lion. Either draw it freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. We’ll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

Start by drawing shapes for the lion's body, legs, and head.

Step 1: Draw an upside-down teardrop shape for the body. The top of the body should be flat. Add two long football shapes for the legs. Draw the head shape.

Draw the lion's paws, ears, and face outline.

Step 2: Draw two shapes for the lower legs and paws. Add two ears and a shape for the face.

Next, draw the lion's front legs, paws, and tail.

Step 3: Draw long, rectangular shapes for the front legs. Add ovals at the bottom for the paws. Draw matching long S-curve lines, rounded together at the top and bottom, for the tail. Add a teardrop shape at its end.

Now draw the lion's facial and other details.

Step 4: Draw two small ovals for the eyes and a rounded triangle for the nose. Add detail lines for the ears, mouth, leg, and toes. Finish this step with lines for hair details in the mane and tail.

Finally, trace over the lines you want to keep in the lion drawing.

Step 5: Trace the lines you want to keep with a felt-tip pen, and erase the extra lines.

If your drawing didn't turn out well, no problem -- just practice drawing it again until you get it right. Then you'll be ready to color it and display it proudly.

There are many more animals you can learn to sketch. In the next section, find out how to draw a parrot on a perch.

Want to expand your drawing skills? See: