How to Draw Anime Cats

Last Updated: January 20, 2023

Kittens are adorable all by themselves, but drawing them anime style makes them even better. If you want to learn to draw one for yourself, follow this tutorial.

Steps

1
Draw a circle for the head. It doesn't have to be perfectly shaped; this is just the initial sketch. For the body, draw a “teardrop” shape because the head will cover it - just end where the neck of the cat is.
2
Add the legs. Make two oval shapes in the right side of the “teardrop” body shape (follow the tutorial's illustration if you have problems positioning the legs). These will be the two front legs. Then draw two circles, one next to the left front leg and the other between the two front legs.
- The only visible parts of the back two legs will be the paws, which is why we’re only putting circles there and not full-on ovals.
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3
Add the tail and paws. Make a curved shape for the tail, connecting at the lower left end part of the “teardrop” body. Draw circles around the end of the oval front legs for the paws (only two for the front legs).
4
Sketch the facial features. Make guidelines, one vertical for positioning the nose and mouth, and one horizontal for positioning the eyes. Then sketch large, roundish eyes with a smaller circle for the iris, a small, triangular nose and a wide mouth. With this step you are finished sketching.
- Keep in mind that anime features are exaggerated compared to real ones, so all expressive elements (i.e. mouth and eyes) should be bigger/more emotionally charged than usual.
5
Carefully outline the sketch. Erase the sketch lines. Finish the eyes by adding a black circle inside each iris circle (this is the pupil) and two or three smaller white circles depicting the highlights of the eyes. Add more details like whiskers, small fangs, fine lines inside the ears (for ear fluff) and small “toes” for the paws.
6
Color your cat as you wish. Put patterns into its fur, like spots or stripes, and add even more features if you want.
- For this part you can let your imagination run wild, or you can use the reference if you're not feeling too creative.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I draw a magic cat?

Community Answer

You can follow the instructions in the article and then give it magical features, like wings or special designs.
Question

I can never, EVER, get the head right. How do I draw a perfect circle?

Community Answer

I have trouble with this too. Making it completely round isn't the answer, because it will be harder to design and it takes too much time. Put a slight curve at the top of the head instead, and then make the head slightly fatter. If you aren't doing chibi style, then you wouldn't even try to make it round.
Question

What is the difference between anime and manga, and how do I make animations using them?

CasMangaArt

Community Answer

Anime refers to animated shows/movies, while manga is the comic/drawn version. To make an animation in this style would be anime, and it would require all the usual skills used for animation.