A kitten begins with two circles that overlap slightly. Beginners often make the head too small or the neck too long. This lesson builds a sitting kitten using construction shapes and graphite values.

About a Cute Kitten

Kittens have large heads relative to their bodies and eyes placed low on the face. Their ears are wide at the base and sit on the corners of the skull.

What you need

2B graphite pencil
4B or 6B graphite pencil for the darkest shadows
Blue col-erase pencil for the construction lines
Kneaded eraser
Cream or white drawing paper

The 9 steps

Light comes from the upper left in every step. Each picture shows the drawing as it should look when that step is done.

Step 1: Head and body circles

Use the blue col-erase pencil to draw a circle for the head and a larger oval for the body.

Common mistake: Avoid making the body too far from the head; let the shapes overlap to keep the neck short.

Step 2: Ears and limb guides

Add two triangles for ears and simple lines for the legs and tail using the blue col-erase pencil.

Common mistake: Do not place ears on top of the head; move them to the sides to show a wide skull.

Step 3: Head and ear outline

Switch to the 2B pencil and draw the outer shape of the head and ears over the blue lines.

Common mistake: Beginners often draw perfectly straight lines; use slightly curved lines to show the volume of the head.

Step 4: Body and tail outline

Continue with the 2B pencil to outline the body, legs, and a fluffy tail over the construction guides.

Common mistake: Avoid making the tail too thin; a thick tail helps the kitten look young and soft.

Step 5: Facial features

Use the 2B pencil to draw large eyes, a small triangular nose, and the mouth lines.

Common mistake: Do not place the eyes too high; keeping them low on the face makes the kitten look younger.

Step 6: Fur and paw details

Add short strokes with the 2B pencil to suggest fur and draw small curves for the toes.

Common mistake: Avoid drawing fur everywhere; only add it to the edges and where the body parts overlap.

Step 7: Shadow block-in

Switch to the 4B pencil and lightly shade the right side of the kitten, away from the light.

Common mistake: Beginners often shade the whole kitten; keep the left side white to show where the light hits.

Step 8: Darkest darks

Use the 6B pencil for the pupils and the cast shadow on the ground beneath the kitten.

Common mistake: Do not forget the cast shadow on the ground, or the kitten will look like it is floating.

Step 9: Highlights and cleanup

Lift small spots of graphite from the eyes and fur using the kneaded eraser to create highlights.

Common mistake: Avoid erasing too much; only lift small points of light to make the eyes look wet.

What makes it look right

Keep the blue construction lines very light so they do not show through the final shading.
Sharpen the 2B pencil frequently to keep the fur strokes crisp and clear.
Use the side of the 4B pencil for smooth shading instead of the sharp tip.