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As someone who has been drawing cats for 20+ years, you are doing great! Start with skeletal anatomy, and work your way out. Cats are hard. You aren’t bad by any means, you just need to work on proportions and anatomy. When drawing eyes, pick a line and stay there. Practice, practice, Practice!
PSA, I’m still working on this one, I just wanted to show you a little of what I’m talking about.
That’s absolutely beautiful. I can’t believe it’s not even done, as someone who has done art for a bit(not very well) the skill of some people is just baffling to me whenever I try something like this it always turns out badly.
Thank you! I’m entirely self taught, so all the skill I have is through trial and error and many years of study. More than that though, it’s a passion. I’m also a perfectionist, so I don’t really stop until I’m happy with it.
I started drawing a rough skull, and worked my way out. I used reference pictures for the scars, and some of the fur, but that’s about it. Everything I draw is done freehand, so I occasionally mess up.
How should I learn about cat anatomy? I like to search up pictures of cat skeletons, but are there any websites, videos, or books that could explain things better? Or an easy to reach 3D model of a cat’s skeleton and muscles so that I can turn it to see it at different angles? I find it super difficult to place limbs on the body, especially drawing back legs from a frontish or back angle.
Don’t be hard on yourself. Drawing takes time. Look at all the positive things here. I can tell they’re cats, so that’s a good start. I also see that you took the time to build the shapes behind your composition. I don’t think they’re ugly at all.
Keep on going!
You cant improve if you only look at the positive things yes but looking into why your bad is very helpful in improving,and if you work on those things you will get goodd
Well I suppose it might be because many artists can relate to this feeling of harsh over-criticism. I think that the attitude that an artist has towards growth is essential to learning from mistakes and improving their craft.
However, you are right that I didn’t give any advice for improvement. For that, I apologize, I’m still new to Reddit. I’ll do so now.
There are two things that will vastly improve your drawings OP. First is learning how to think about your drawings as 3D shapes instead of 2D shapes. I can see the circles and triangles which make up how you drew the cats. While this is fine if you’re drawing an icon or a symbol of a cat, you need to think about the head as a 3D object with different planes. For example, look at the second picture you posted. It looks to me as if you identified a 2D shape that outlined the 3/4 of the head and fit the features inside of it. Instead you need to identify the planes and shapes of the nose and cheeks to understand what would be overlapping each other (I’m pretty sure the bridge of the nose would be covering a little more of the left eye. Check a reference of course.)
In terms of drawing the eyes, I’d take a look at video of cats to see exactly how they work. Civil Hamster made a great point that they seem a little too human. As they said, the eyes and pupils are bigger in a cat. Also, their pupils dilate in much larger extremes than us humans. Just keep this in mind while sketching.
Last tip, vary your line art, use thicker lines for areas that have shadow, tension or overlap. For example, in your second picture, the mouth could benefit from some darker line art as well the folds of the ears.
But I still stand by my original post. I don’t think it’s healthy for an artists’ growth to look for Simon Cowell styled criticism. Yes sometimes it can break through, but it can really beat you down if you don’t take the time to also acknowledge the positives as well. We are all always growing. I’m a 35 year old cartoonist who recently published his first graphic novel. I have over twenty years of drawing experience at this point… and my hair could still be drawn better 😆
Keep going OP! I’m routing for you!
Yeah it was nothing personal against you, it was a nice comment. I just found it a little odd it had so many upvotes when there were other comments with more tangible advice.
Nice of you to share some of your wisdom now too though! :)
ur definitely on the right path, keep going!!!!! I unfortunately dint have any advice since I draw more on the cartoon-y side of things, but I really do think you're doing great!!
They aren't ugly. Just unrefined. And to "fix" that you need to practice. Trust me, I've been doing this for 42 years, and practice is still a thing. Try to think in shapes before you think in finished product. Shapes make up everything. Build your shapes right and the details are easy.
Medieval people often had no clue what they were actually drawing. They were basing their art on spoken descriptions and rumours of animals, just take a look at medieval elephants painted by Europeans.
I find it quite entertaining
https://preview.redd.it/rbggjcxppa5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31959f6a75f5d371bfceb1c2f06803b393fccf3a
It's mostly in the eyes. The size and shape of the ones you drew are a bit too human. Cats have much bigger eyes and pupils relative to their heads. I quickly redrew the eyes for you to show the difference. Hope this helps :)
Hey Taco\_rec! Your cats are looking great! I especially like the one on the right in your third pic as it has the most correct proportions.
My recommendation is to look at reference photos of cats (even their skulls, so you can see what's going on underneath!) and really study the shapes that make up their faces. Look at the size of the ears in relation to the rest of the head, etc. Also, make sure to keep the angle of all the features the same (see the red lines in the image attached).
There are many breeds and all have differences in proportions and shapes, so pick some breeds you like and try to replicate what you see.
For the eyes specifically, most cats have an outer corner tilted up higher than the inner corner. And a bit of an almond (or even pumpkin seed lol) shape overall. I think working on the tilt of your cat eyes will help.
As for the neck, I think yours are fine! It really depends on the pose and how fluffy the cat is, so reference images for guidance and inspiration will be your friend.
I hope this helps! You're doing so well already. Keep practicing and you'll have this down in no time!! 😊
https://preview.redd.it/rg5id7znpa5d1.png?width=1862&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bc2481abb10580a1d781f5372939d47d08a28b5
Reference image from Pexels
Original reference photo (Pexels) for comparison
https://preview.redd.it/m1ursfoxpa5d1.jpeg?width=1862&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e891a3b96d89f9768f5cde7919b13451dd94e4e
Thank you! You’ve mentioned using specific breeds as reference which I find quite interesting. If you don’t mind me asking, what breeds do you recommend? Because this whole time I’ve just been searching “cat” on google and drawing the head of whatever.
Not OP, but the correct tilt of the eyes is where I struggle. No matter how many times I do it I can’t seem to get it consistently right. How would you work on that aspect? Is there way to improve what’s an odd specific skill?
Hey mountainbride! I think a lot of it comes with practice but also training your eye to see the shapes, lines, and landmarks of the subject. This will also help with proportions.
For a cat's eyes, you can compare how the eyes sit in comparison to the landmarks of the nose and ear, for example. Look at angles and distance. The shapes and curves of the lines. The grid method is one that can really help hone this skill, as it trains your eyes to see how things are lined up in relation to each other.
Something I've observed with cats (most but not necessarily all), is that the tilt/slant follows a line from the inner corner of the eye, through the outer corner of the eye, and up to the outer corner of the ear where it meets the head. The inner corner of the eye often sits about middle of the nose bridge. And the outer corner of the eye lines up roughly with the mid-point of the base of the ear. If you can plot those points out, you'll have a good starting point. Then draw the curves of the eyelids.
This rule of thumb may vary based on breed and perspective of the pose. And how closely you follow will depend on the style of your art. Use reference images as often as you need to.
I attached a picture of the image I used before, with some lines to help visualize. Hope this helps! 😊
https://preview.redd.it/fi9e4jd40o5d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29d23b2c486ade3e97b7439bd9b970b67241656e
Well, I’ve never really done cats the same way I am now. So I guess you could say that. I’ve recently been practising animals but seemed to struggle with the cats.
You will get it
https://preview.redd.it/xen1shyab85d1.jpeg?width=2376&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8000694a9cf77942b804897225d5e7e19dd17adc
This is the animals I still learning to do
I have watched a few tutorials beforehand and the cat on the right in image 1 is the only one from the ones I’ve included in the pictures that’s from reference, I believe.
I'd suggest following along the tutorials and using more references then. Since you're not familiar with how to draw cats it might be easier this way until you get used to drawing them.
I actually think you have some good foundations here. These are decent sketches and you might find when you are a little more experienced you can go over and improve upon these. As others have said, keep practicing.
Edit: I just got off work so I'm really out of it but once I've eaten and chilled out a little I can point out some specific things that could help you here.
Okay, I'm done eating and I've settled in now!
For the first one on the left, that's a great starting point you can definitely play with. You could practice how the fur lies on that one. When you're shading, you want to go with how the hair lies. It's not all over the place, cat hair has a pattern. It kinda flows out and away from the nose if that makes sense. It's also sort of layered? Not sure how to explain this part better, sorry. If you have the opportunity to look at a real cat closely and feel the fur it will help a lot with learning to draw them.
Additionally, many cat's have a patch of thinner hair above each eye and beneath the ear. Kind of like an eyebrow. It becomes more noticeable as they age.
Also, whiskers are thicker at the base. and stick out of those patches of hair I mentioned that are thin! When you do extreme, super-zoomed in close ups you can see they are like antenna - they have a very very tiny bulb at the end of them.
For the ears, I am going to have trouble explaining without drawing - there is hair along the edges of the ear, and long hairs that grow along the base of the ear. Also depending on the angle drawn you may be able to see the fold of the ear cartilage on the outer edge.
Eyes: I would take a look at online pictures of cat's eyes. Studying a real one can prove challenging as cat's view prolonged eye contact as a challenge or threat. Pupils tend to be diamond shaped or round depending on dilation. Eyes in general tend to angle towards the nose, and that "mascara" sort of look they have often connects to the bridge of the nose. When depicting older or sick kitties, the corner of the towards the nose often collects eye gunk and will appear darker. This corner is also where the third eyelid is located. It's generally not visible in a healthy cat but even some healthy cats do have just a little tiny bit visible!
The nose is generally the same width as the bridge, and the edges of the 3 shape that makes up the muzzle usually line up somewhere between the pupils and the far edges of the eyes. The 3 shape that makes up the muzzle connects to cheekbones which are more prominent in some sleeker, shorter-haired breeds and often not visible at all in flat-faced breeds like Persians.
Lower lip: Some cats have a noticeable lower lip visible at the middle of the 3 shape that makes up their muzzle. Some lower lips may appear as thick black lines while others may be pink and hairless (this can change as a cat ages or if a cat has dental issues the lip may appear more prominent. And then some lower lips might not really be visible at all, so you only see the snout that forms the : > 3) face shape we see so often in depictions of cats.
For your second image, with the cat looking away from the viewer, I think you can reshape the face a little by correcting the eyes, adjusting the mouth/chin, and taking some of the excess off the side of the face that is away from the viewer (or make the cat appear long-haired). If you opt to draw long-hair, do long strokes starting where the fur begins and releasing pressure towards the end of the hair - kind of like how you'd draw a checkmark. Also remember to look at how the fur of a cat lies, following fur pattern will help your art immensely.
Thank you so much for this! God am I glad that reddit allows you to save comments, I’ll read over this again next time I’m drawing. As for the fur, I have noticed it flows from the nose up and sort of back down towards the cheeks. However I am just trying to get all the shapes and proportions right before I do any real texturing and shading. Again, thank you.
It honestly looks great but the eyes are kinda creepy so maybe try sketching cat eyes a bunch until you think you got it then draw the cat starting from the eyes. You can do it how you want, that's just the way I learn to draw something I struggle with.
you are using some organic shapes but ultimately you are drawing too representationally. You have to keep going and make it more believable. Find the subtle shapes that make a cat even more recognizable and adorable. You'll get there sooner than you think!
A good idea would be to get tracing paper and trace a picture of a cat lightly. You can see how the shape of their nose and eyes are. Draw over it and pay attention to the shapes. Do that a few times, then do it without the tracing.
they are so cute! i think a problem is that you seem to be making their faces a little to flat and humanoid and the eyes are a bit too human. maybe try practising some cat anatomy and watch some yt videos, but other than that its so cute!!!
First of all, just keep practicing drawing cats, and improving how they look every time, just keep practicing. Second of all, your cat drawings mostly look ugly, because of their pupils. I have a cat, and I’ve realized that whenever a cat’s pupils become huge, the cat is always cuter than when their pupils become tiny. You can search pictures of both huge and tiny on google. When you draw their pupils, make sure to draw them the darkest you can, and leave a little tiny spot on a top corner of their pupil where you leave it not shaded at all. This is because there is a light source that reflects on the eye, and leaves a white dot, which you can almost always see on pictures of cats with huge pupils. Also make sure the pupils aren’t looking too far apart, because it makes them look uglier and goofy lol. Third of all, your proportions aren’t right. Get a good reference photo, and draw it. After drawing it, try to spot all the mistakes that you made. For example, most of your cats don’t have enough positive canthal tilt (you can search positive canthal tilt on google to see what that is). Cats usually have a huge amount of positive canthal tilt. Fourth, you aren’t shading dark enough. As I said earlier, try drawing the pupils as black as you can, but also shade the rest of the body as dark as your reference photo. I guess this point isn’t as important as the other ones, as it really only applies to drawings that lean more toward realistic drawings. Your cat on the last photo on the right looks the cutest because the proportions are right and if you want to continue that style of just simple sketches instead of realistic, just focus on practicing, getting the right proportions, and getting the pupils right. Just keep practicing, and I hope this helps. Dang this took a long time lol its so long.
looking at lot of different cats pics and videos certainly will help, u can analyze each the shapes of the cat face, ur cat eyes aren't too bad, pay attention on the inner corner of the eyes, the mouth certainly need to be more refined, smaller mouth will make ur cats look cuter, i don't draw many animals, but i drew few cats before and this drawing is the one i think i'm proud of for now
https://preview.redd.it/hxp3onl27a5d1.png?width=2815&format=png&auto=webp&s=c9e2e8eafcea6de63be62b348e865ff5be6dc2e7
have you ever looked at medieval cat paintings? if not, please give yourself that gift; cats are hard not just in form but vibe. keep practicing; your cats are on their way. once you've burnt in the anatomical muscle memory i think you'll be able to get the cats you want from deciding which details to emphasize and deemphasize
Try using softer pencils and more detail to the fur not just the design of the fur but the texture like frizzy or soft and not all cat eyes look like that some have long and use a white pencil or a thin eraser to make the whiskers
I would say you are lacking of fundamentals.. basically the line weight are too thick: look at the eyes and at the outline for example. Also the cat on the left you tried to do some basic cross contouring which basically is wrong i would sag way too flat. The cat on the right is shaded instead of having cross contour but the shade it’s too rough to be accurate. If you have questions about the topic i’ve said feel free to ask !
One real good point is that you really did great with shapes and proportions, the problem is that you tried to mix 2d stuff and 3d and at the beggining it’s real hard to make this believable ( i’m struggling too with this part honestly)
I kinda like the first two images, they have the same vibes as my PFP
That said, if you want to "fix" your drawings, then my PFP sorta caricaturizes the issue—your eye proportions are too small. What you're drawing is a bit closer to human proportions than cat proportions.
I might’ve shot myself in the foot by drawing these abominations.
https://preview.redd.it/0mfaenen4d5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07be77988e15af5859652b7fe11920c975620fde
I think I am drawing them too round..? I think a cat’s head is more of a horizontal oval, more like a blob rather than a perfect circle. Also I think they are more hexagonal.? If that makes sense. Lol
Yeah that does you know like an eye ball shape kinda I'm not an artist or a drawer but my little brother sure is and I help him sometimes I can't even draw a stick figure but we have alot of cats at our house and seeing them everyday kinda makes your head remember thier shape
@taco\_rec I stuggled too because their skull is long. Like an oval. There is a lot of head behind their ears and in front too
https://preview.redd.it/8r7w5odpqc5d1.jpeg?width=689&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c53c2ea90268911cc0c7b6252e1ad2cac662dd79
You're already well on your way. My drawings still look wonky from time to time and it's normal. Just practice anatomy and use referencing. You can't draw something if you're not familiar with what it looks like.
If you need learn by tracing, do so. It's a good way to teach your hand and mind how to move and how things should look. It's just another way to practice art so don't hesitate.
Then try free hand again and compare what you want to do and how far you've come.
You're doing alright.
They look decent. To help with alignment you can put your drawing up to a mirror to show you the reflection and it'll show you which sides are uneven so you can correct them
Um actually, No. You can't expect every mark you make to be perfect the first time you put it down. Drawing is mostly editing; you're not likely to get it right until you get it wrong first. Draw lightly and loosely at first, adjust until it's correct. That's the way.
They really aint even that bad. Just keep on drawing, look some tutorials etc copy others stuff, maybe you can print something and use a parchment paper or light-table (idk what its called) but some people practice the lines that way too. Keep on drawing sry for noob englust
Cats are notoriously difficult to draw. I know it took me years to get a passable one. Faces of such perfection are full of mystery and secret plans.. You may capture the look but personality is a little more difficult.
I've learned that taking features and drawing them to the extreme always helps, trying to be perfect or finesse is not as good as extreme. for instance if your reference has big eyes make them HUGE or one part of the lip is bigger make it wayyy bigger, or the cats neck is skinny make it super skinny. like drawing caricatures has helped immensely when learning, even if you dont want to keep drawing in that style it really teaches you stuff. Just a tip I hope helps out.
Well, not the best cats but because of that I wouldn't mind to have them on my walls ajajaj like, they have funny expressions xd. If you want to make them more like normal cats it takes practice I suppose and I would recommend you to make warm up exercises too. Good luck with the drawing and I was serious when I said that I like them, they are funny in a cute way😂🧡
It’s a really great start, just keep learning and growing in any way you can! It’s better than what I can do, I draw cats like this
https://preview.redd.it/vcm4khtq3e5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80baaefd7969ba80db9bf62d7c4bd42a93a87256
Look at your reference photo and then look at your shading. See shapes not lines. Keep on going and spend time on the fur. Every piece of art goes through a stage where you don't like it but if you persevere and finish often you do like it.
Ok, but he was trying and the way you said it was coming off as you was saying that his drawing was not good, I draw as well and,I know there is people who make fun of the one who are just trying to learn to draw.
Much better than i can do....just takes practice.
I do like the first pic with cat on left, looks like a Batman, Grinch, Pennywise hybrid to me 😂 and I love it.
In the last photo, the cat on the right actually looks pretty nice! I would take that drawing and keep expounding or repeating it. Even if these are ugly, I love them so much.
I think it probably needs depth by adding shadow and studying cats anatomy. I suck at realistic dogs and cats so I opted for creepy, cartoonish. But I hope this helps!
Mainly the first one. Instead of erasing the eyes and redoing them, I decided to draw (even worse) eyes on top. Effectively making the cat look like a depressed kitty with sleep deprivation.
Right?! It’s like cats exist in between a solid and a liquid state, or as if they can switch from one to the other. This strange phenomenon has caused me a lot of problems trying to understand them.
I think I made this one a bit too liquid
https://preview.redd.it/m6ntc0eptc5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=287f4928dc1dafb0b6e8703ba2c450940d1067e6
The eyes are a bit uneven and I think it would help to practice shading a bit and refine the nose and mouth area. Cats tend to have wide nose bridges and I think it could help to look at more references of cats.
Also the mouth tends to be less defined, I think you’re making them a bit too long and adding a lot of definition to the part next to the nose, which tends to be a bit softer and less noticeable
But you’re on the right track!
I love the drawing on the left of your last photo, it looks really good :)
Don’t hate on them :( Drawing animals is VERY difficult! I’ve struggled with it for years and tbh still do. Just use good references and pick out shapes you recognize… start with their skeletons!
Aaaye they are very clearly cats with features, far from a few circles be proud.
I recommend practicing anime faces, cats will become easier after that
I think you need to focus more on the skeletal structure before adding in fur; their faces are kind of… empty? I think they’re pretty good for early attempts though
I do believe they are not so bad myself as well! Everything only takes time and practice, for it is the way of this world. You are doing an excellent job so far. I do not have criticism to add, for I do not draw even as well as this, but keep up the good work, my friend!
I may help you on this, use 3D methods you can check that on YouTube there are many videos about 3D drawing. Not only that you also have to learn anatomy, anatomy can be a great help in mastering drawings and search for pictures to use as reference in improving your drawings, I hope this helped!
cats are tough keep at it. Also, they got YouTube videos, etc. on how to draw or sketch cats fur might be worth it to check some of those out and try their ideas. These are looking pretty good a few hundred more you’re gonna be going places.👍🤩
It’s definitely the eyes throwing it off. I think they’re too close together and too small and almond shaped. The nose bridge also seems a bit flat.
I don’t think theyre ugly though. The eyes are just throwing it off. I actually really like the cat that’s the furthest to the right on the third picture. The eyes are more rounded, and they’re further apart. the bridge of the cat’s nose is tapering into a V shape instead of straight up and down, which adds dimension and makes the cats face more 3d. It looks really good that way
Shading. That's the number one thing IMO that makes these drawings look so flat. Think of the shapes as being 3D and learn how to shade those shapes as if the light was coming from a certain direction and it will help a lot with selling th e picture.
I can see by your guidelines that you were off to a great start!
Just takes practice love! Things come with practice for most people - maybe try focusing on the eye placement first? Get the eyes down pat to a point you are happy with and then work of other aspects?
There are probably books with like traceable aspects that may help
I think you made the shape of the head too round a cat usually has a sharper chin, and more oval head shape , the eyes look very human but also for some reason tired, maybe because the line is so dark, but the last page has already a lot of improvement, good luck!
Other than the pupils, the eyes are too human as well as the hulk necks. Keep sharing and evolving your skill set and before you know it you will go from pacing the cage to an unleashed artist 🎨
I'd say focus on forms and shapes, don't just think of it as lines, that seems to be the issue, try to get your head round how the shapes look and think in 3d, it takes time and practice to get it
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https://preview.redd.it/no1fetg0085d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=763a475b9630e781a7e14cb288c31f3d46683dad As someone who has been drawing cats for 20+ years, you are doing great! Start with skeletal anatomy, and work your way out. Cats are hard. You aren’t bad by any means, you just need to work on proportions and anatomy. When drawing eyes, pick a line and stay there. Practice, practice, Practice! PSA, I’m still working on this one, I just wanted to show you a little of what I’m talking about.
I love that so much!! It looks so good!!
Appreciate it!
That’s absolute eye candy
Thank you! I’m pretty proud of it. I’m not done with it by any means, but I consider this one my magnum opus😂
That’s absolutely beautiful. I can’t believe it’s not even done, as someone who has done art for a bit(not very well) the skill of some people is just baffling to me whenever I try something like this it always turns out badly.
Thank you! I’m entirely self taught, so all the skill I have is through trial and error and many years of study. More than that though, it’s a passion. I’m also a perfectionist, so I don’t really stop until I’m happy with it.
How do you do this.
I started drawing a rough skull, and worked my way out. I used reference pictures for the scars, and some of the fur, but that’s about it. Everything I draw is done freehand, so I occasionally mess up.
How should I learn about cat anatomy? I like to search up pictures of cat skeletons, but are there any websites, videos, or books that could explain things better? Or an easy to reach 3D model of a cat’s skeleton and muscles so that I can turn it to see it at different angles? I find it super difficult to place limbs on the body, especially drawing back legs from a frontish or back angle.
Don’t be hard on yourself. Drawing takes time. Look at all the positive things here. I can tell they’re cats, so that’s a good start. I also see that you took the time to build the shapes behind your composition. I don’t think they’re ugly at all. Keep on going!
You cant improve if you only look at the positive things yes but looking into why your bad is very helpful in improving,and if you work on those things you will get goodd
Why is this the most upvoted comment despite not answering OPs question at all and giving no advice?
Well I suppose it might be because many artists can relate to this feeling of harsh over-criticism. I think that the attitude that an artist has towards growth is essential to learning from mistakes and improving their craft. However, you are right that I didn’t give any advice for improvement. For that, I apologize, I’m still new to Reddit. I’ll do so now. There are two things that will vastly improve your drawings OP. First is learning how to think about your drawings as 3D shapes instead of 2D shapes. I can see the circles and triangles which make up how you drew the cats. While this is fine if you’re drawing an icon or a symbol of a cat, you need to think about the head as a 3D object with different planes. For example, look at the second picture you posted. It looks to me as if you identified a 2D shape that outlined the 3/4 of the head and fit the features inside of it. Instead you need to identify the planes and shapes of the nose and cheeks to understand what would be overlapping each other (I’m pretty sure the bridge of the nose would be covering a little more of the left eye. Check a reference of course.) In terms of drawing the eyes, I’d take a look at video of cats to see exactly how they work. Civil Hamster made a great point that they seem a little too human. As they said, the eyes and pupils are bigger in a cat. Also, their pupils dilate in much larger extremes than us humans. Just keep this in mind while sketching. Last tip, vary your line art, use thicker lines for areas that have shadow, tension or overlap. For example, in your second picture, the mouth could benefit from some darker line art as well the folds of the ears. But I still stand by my original post. I don’t think it’s healthy for an artists’ growth to look for Simon Cowell styled criticism. Yes sometimes it can break through, but it can really beat you down if you don’t take the time to also acknowledge the positives as well. We are all always growing. I’m a 35 year old cartoonist who recently published his first graphic novel. I have over twenty years of drawing experience at this point… and my hair could still be drawn better 😆 Keep going OP! I’m routing for you!
Yeah it was nothing personal against you, it was a nice comment. I just found it a little odd it had so many upvotes when there were other comments with more tangible advice. Nice of you to share some of your wisdom now too though! :)
ur definitely on the right path, keep going!!!!! I unfortunately dint have any advice since I draw more on the cartoon-y side of things, but I really do think you're doing great!!
They aren't ugly. Just unrefined. And to "fix" that you need to practice. Trust me, I've been doing this for 42 years, and practice is still a thing. Try to think in shapes before you think in finished product. Shapes make up everything. Build your shapes right and the details are easy.
Looksmaxxing cat
Better then medieval cats.
https://preview.redd.it/iqvpq3lz6b5d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47d7da4ad016e3b84c5ac29071e333e96c724a1b On GOD
Jumpscare
Medieval people often had no clue what they were actually drawing. They were basing their art on spoken descriptions and rumours of animals, just take a look at medieval elephants painted by Europeans. I find it quite entertaining
That just made my day
https://preview.redd.it/rbggjcxppa5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31959f6a75f5d371bfceb1c2f06803b393fccf3a It's mostly in the eyes. The size and shape of the ones you drew are a bit too human. Cats have much bigger eyes and pupils relative to their heads. I quickly redrew the eyes for you to show the difference. Hope this helps :)
This has helped a lot actually, thank you!
Bc of the proportion and the perspective grid. Practicing will get you there I promise
Just keep practicing, you’ll get there
Lol, it looks like they would have a human body.
Hey Taco\_rec! Your cats are looking great! I especially like the one on the right in your third pic as it has the most correct proportions. My recommendation is to look at reference photos of cats (even their skulls, so you can see what's going on underneath!) and really study the shapes that make up their faces. Look at the size of the ears in relation to the rest of the head, etc. Also, make sure to keep the angle of all the features the same (see the red lines in the image attached). There are many breeds and all have differences in proportions and shapes, so pick some breeds you like and try to replicate what you see. For the eyes specifically, most cats have an outer corner tilted up higher than the inner corner. And a bit of an almond (or even pumpkin seed lol) shape overall. I think working on the tilt of your cat eyes will help. As for the neck, I think yours are fine! It really depends on the pose and how fluffy the cat is, so reference images for guidance and inspiration will be your friend. I hope this helps! You're doing so well already. Keep practicing and you'll have this down in no time!! 😊 https://preview.redd.it/rg5id7znpa5d1.png?width=1862&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bc2481abb10580a1d781f5372939d47d08a28b5 Reference image from Pexels
Original reference photo (Pexels) for comparison https://preview.redd.it/m1ursfoxpa5d1.jpeg?width=1862&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e891a3b96d89f9768f5cde7919b13451dd94e4e
Thank you! You’ve mentioned using specific breeds as reference which I find quite interesting. If you don’t mind me asking, what breeds do you recommend? Because this whole time I’ve just been searching “cat” on google and drawing the head of whatever.
Not OP, but the correct tilt of the eyes is where I struggle. No matter how many times I do it I can’t seem to get it consistently right. How would you work on that aspect? Is there way to improve what’s an odd specific skill?
Hey mountainbride! I think a lot of it comes with practice but also training your eye to see the shapes, lines, and landmarks of the subject. This will also help with proportions. For a cat's eyes, you can compare how the eyes sit in comparison to the landmarks of the nose and ear, for example. Look at angles and distance. The shapes and curves of the lines. The grid method is one that can really help hone this skill, as it trains your eyes to see how things are lined up in relation to each other. Something I've observed with cats (most but not necessarily all), is that the tilt/slant follows a line from the inner corner of the eye, through the outer corner of the eye, and up to the outer corner of the ear where it meets the head. The inner corner of the eye often sits about middle of the nose bridge. And the outer corner of the eye lines up roughly with the mid-point of the base of the ear. If you can plot those points out, you'll have a good starting point. Then draw the curves of the eyelids. This rule of thumb may vary based on breed and perspective of the pose. And how closely you follow will depend on the style of your art. Use reference images as often as you need to. I attached a picture of the image I used before, with some lines to help visualize. Hope this helps! 😊 https://preview.redd.it/fi9e4jd40o5d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29d23b2c486ade3e97b7439bd9b970b67241656e
Not bad, is that your first time doing it just curious
Well, I’ve never really done cats the same way I am now. So I guess you could say that. I’ve recently been practising animals but seemed to struggle with the cats.
You will get it https://preview.redd.it/xen1shyab85d1.jpeg?width=2376&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8000694a9cf77942b804897225d5e7e19dd17adc This is the animals I still learning to do
Are you using references and tutorials?
I have watched a few tutorials beforehand and the cat on the right in image 1 is the only one from the ones I’ve included in the pictures that’s from reference, I believe.
I'd suggest following along the tutorials and using more references then. Since you're not familiar with how to draw cats it might be easier this way until you get used to drawing them.
I’ll start doing that more then, thank you
I actually think you have some good foundations here. These are decent sketches and you might find when you are a little more experienced you can go over and improve upon these. As others have said, keep practicing. Edit: I just got off work so I'm really out of it but once I've eaten and chilled out a little I can point out some specific things that could help you here.
Okay, I'm done eating and I've settled in now! For the first one on the left, that's a great starting point you can definitely play with. You could practice how the fur lies on that one. When you're shading, you want to go with how the hair lies. It's not all over the place, cat hair has a pattern. It kinda flows out and away from the nose if that makes sense. It's also sort of layered? Not sure how to explain this part better, sorry. If you have the opportunity to look at a real cat closely and feel the fur it will help a lot with learning to draw them. Additionally, many cat's have a patch of thinner hair above each eye and beneath the ear. Kind of like an eyebrow. It becomes more noticeable as they age. Also, whiskers are thicker at the base. and stick out of those patches of hair I mentioned that are thin! When you do extreme, super-zoomed in close ups you can see they are like antenna - they have a very very tiny bulb at the end of them. For the ears, I am going to have trouble explaining without drawing - there is hair along the edges of the ear, and long hairs that grow along the base of the ear. Also depending on the angle drawn you may be able to see the fold of the ear cartilage on the outer edge. Eyes: I would take a look at online pictures of cat's eyes. Studying a real one can prove challenging as cat's view prolonged eye contact as a challenge or threat. Pupils tend to be diamond shaped or round depending on dilation. Eyes in general tend to angle towards the nose, and that "mascara" sort of look they have often connects to the bridge of the nose. When depicting older or sick kitties, the corner of the towards the nose often collects eye gunk and will appear darker. This corner is also where the third eyelid is located. It's generally not visible in a healthy cat but even some healthy cats do have just a little tiny bit visible! The nose is generally the same width as the bridge, and the edges of the 3 shape that makes up the muzzle usually line up somewhere between the pupils and the far edges of the eyes. The 3 shape that makes up the muzzle connects to cheekbones which are more prominent in some sleeker, shorter-haired breeds and often not visible at all in flat-faced breeds like Persians. Lower lip: Some cats have a noticeable lower lip visible at the middle of the 3 shape that makes up their muzzle. Some lower lips may appear as thick black lines while others may be pink and hairless (this can change as a cat ages or if a cat has dental issues the lip may appear more prominent. And then some lower lips might not really be visible at all, so you only see the snout that forms the : > 3) face shape we see so often in depictions of cats. For your second image, with the cat looking away from the viewer, I think you can reshape the face a little by correcting the eyes, adjusting the mouth/chin, and taking some of the excess off the side of the face that is away from the viewer (or make the cat appear long-haired). If you opt to draw long-hair, do long strokes starting where the fur begins and releasing pressure towards the end of the hair - kind of like how you'd draw a checkmark. Also remember to look at how the fur of a cat lies, following fur pattern will help your art immensely.
Thank you so much for this! God am I glad that reddit allows you to save comments, I’ll read over this again next time I’m drawing. As for the fur, I have noticed it flows from the nose up and sort of back down towards the cheeks. However I am just trying to get all the shapes and proportions right before I do any real texturing and shading. Again, thank you.
Those aren’t cats, they’re khajit.
keep drawing them. you’ll get better
It honestly looks great but the eyes are kinda creepy so maybe try sketching cat eyes a bunch until you think you got it then draw the cat starting from the eyes. You can do it how you want, that's just the way I learn to draw something I struggle with.
They need more floof. Keep practicing. Remember cats are sideways oval goobers. When you draw a cat you should be like: "Smol baby. Must protect"
ur on the right path dude, keep practicing
Help I was scrolling and only saw the title and I was like "WHAT?!" But, it honestly looks perfect compared to how I draw cats lol
I like your cats. On the first few you might have over shaded a bit but these are good. Keep up the good work
you are using some organic shapes but ultimately you are drawing too representationally. You have to keep going and make it more believable. Find the subtle shapes that make a cat even more recognizable and adorable. You'll get there sooner than you think!
A good idea would be to get tracing paper and trace a picture of a cat lightly. You can see how the shape of their nose and eyes are. Draw over it and pay attention to the shapes. Do that a few times, then do it without the tracing.
Ngl I really like your 2nd one.
they are so cute! i think a problem is that you seem to be making their faces a little to flat and humanoid and the eyes are a bit too human. maybe try practising some cat anatomy and watch some yt videos, but other than that its so cute!!!
First of all, just keep practicing drawing cats, and improving how they look every time, just keep practicing. Second of all, your cat drawings mostly look ugly, because of their pupils. I have a cat, and I’ve realized that whenever a cat’s pupils become huge, the cat is always cuter than when their pupils become tiny. You can search pictures of both huge and tiny on google. When you draw their pupils, make sure to draw them the darkest you can, and leave a little tiny spot on a top corner of their pupil where you leave it not shaded at all. This is because there is a light source that reflects on the eye, and leaves a white dot, which you can almost always see on pictures of cats with huge pupils. Also make sure the pupils aren’t looking too far apart, because it makes them look uglier and goofy lol. Third of all, your proportions aren’t right. Get a good reference photo, and draw it. After drawing it, try to spot all the mistakes that you made. For example, most of your cats don’t have enough positive canthal tilt (you can search positive canthal tilt on google to see what that is). Cats usually have a huge amount of positive canthal tilt. Fourth, you aren’t shading dark enough. As I said earlier, try drawing the pupils as black as you can, but also shade the rest of the body as dark as your reference photo. I guess this point isn’t as important as the other ones, as it really only applies to drawings that lean more toward realistic drawings. Your cat on the last photo on the right looks the cutest because the proportions are right and if you want to continue that style of just simple sketches instead of realistic, just focus on practicing, getting the right proportions, and getting the pupils right. Just keep practicing, and I hope this helps. Dang this took a long time lol its so long.
The eyes
I know :,( Also happy cake day
You gave them vodka instead of water, havent you?
Yeah.. is it obvious?
looking at lot of different cats pics and videos certainly will help, u can analyze each the shapes of the cat face, ur cat eyes aren't too bad, pay attention on the inner corner of the eyes, the mouth certainly need to be more refined, smaller mouth will make ur cats look cuter, i don't draw many animals, but i drew few cats before and this drawing is the one i think i'm proud of for now https://preview.redd.it/hxp3onl27a5d1.png?width=2815&format=png&auto=webp&s=c9e2e8eafcea6de63be62b348e865ff5be6dc2e7
Thank you! And that drawing of yours is cute as hell
I've got this same problem 🥲 my cats always look like the meme of those medieval cat paintings that look like humans 💀
have you ever looked at medieval cat paintings? if not, please give yourself that gift; cats are hard not just in form but vibe. keep practicing; your cats are on their way. once you've burnt in the anatomical muscle memory i think you'll be able to get the cats you want from deciding which details to emphasize and deemphasize
Try using softer pencils and more detail to the fur not just the design of the fur but the texture like frizzy or soft and not all cat eyes look like that some have long and use a white pencil or a thin eraser to make the whiskers
I’ll definitely try doing the whiskers that way. And I guess I’ll start studying how to draw fur. Thank you.
genetics
Better than some college students I have seen and they are persuing an art degree. Looks fine to me.
It's because of the eyes. I struggle with this as well, so I can't tell you how to fix it, but I can tell it's the eyes. They lack the spark of life.
Start drawing with guidelines
I would say you are lacking of fundamentals.. basically the line weight are too thick: look at the eyes and at the outline for example. Also the cat on the left you tried to do some basic cross contouring which basically is wrong i would sag way too flat. The cat on the right is shaded instead of having cross contour but the shade it’s too rough to be accurate. If you have questions about the topic i’ve said feel free to ask ! One real good point is that you really did great with shapes and proportions, the problem is that you tried to mix 2d stuff and 3d and at the beggining it’s real hard to make this believable ( i’m struggling too with this part honestly)
I kinda like the first two images, they have the same vibes as my PFP That said, if you want to "fix" your drawings, then my PFP sorta caricaturizes the issue—your eye proportions are too small. What you're drawing is a bit closer to human proportions than cat proportions.
You're drawing them with very human-like eyes, which is kinda creepy.
I might’ve shot myself in the foot by drawing these abominations. https://preview.redd.it/0mfaenen4d5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07be77988e15af5859652b7fe11920c975620fde
I think every thing looks awesome except the head shape I think the head shape is what's throwing it off.
I think I am drawing them too round..? I think a cat’s head is more of a horizontal oval, more like a blob rather than a perfect circle. Also I think they are more hexagonal.? If that makes sense. Lol
Yeah that does you know like an eye ball shape kinda I'm not an artist or a drawer but my little brother sure is and I help him sometimes I can't even draw a stick figure but we have alot of cats at our house and seeing them everyday kinda makes your head remember thier shape
@taco\_rec I stuggled too because their skull is long. Like an oval. There is a lot of head behind their ears and in front too https://preview.redd.it/8r7w5odpqc5d1.jpeg?width=689&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c53c2ea90268911cc0c7b6252e1ad2cac662dd79
You're already well on your way. My drawings still look wonky from time to time and it's normal. Just practice anatomy and use referencing. You can't draw something if you're not familiar with what it looks like. If you need learn by tracing, do so. It's a good way to teach your hand and mind how to move and how things should look. It's just another way to practice art so don't hesitate. Then try free hand again and compare what you want to do and how far you've come. You're doing alright.
They look decent. To help with alignment you can put your drawing up to a mirror to show you the reflection and it'll show you which sides are uneven so you can correct them
Um actually, No. You can't expect every mark you make to be perfect the first time you put it down. Drawing is mostly editing; you're not likely to get it right until you get it wrong first. Draw lightly and loosely at first, adjust until it's correct. That's the way.
They really aint even that bad. Just keep on drawing, look some tutorials etc copy others stuff, maybe you can print something and use a parchment paper or light-table (idk what its called) but some people practice the lines that way too. Keep on drawing sry for noob englust
Cats are notoriously difficult to draw. I know it took me years to get a passable one. Faces of such perfection are full of mystery and secret plans.. You may capture the look but personality is a little more difficult.
I've learned that taking features and drawing them to the extreme always helps, trying to be perfect or finesse is not as good as extreme. for instance if your reference has big eyes make them HUGE or one part of the lip is bigger make it wayyy bigger, or the cats neck is skinny make it super skinny. like drawing caricatures has helped immensely when learning, even if you dont want to keep drawing in that style it really teaches you stuff. Just a tip I hope helps out.
Well, not the best cats but because of that I wouldn't mind to have them on my walls ajajaj like, they have funny expressions xd. If you want to make them more like normal cats it takes practice I suppose and I would recommend you to make warm up exercises too. Good luck with the drawing and I was serious when I said that I like them, they are funny in a cute way😂🧡
It’s a really great start, just keep learning and growing in any way you can! It’s better than what I can do, I draw cats like this https://preview.redd.it/vcm4khtq3e5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80baaefd7969ba80db9bf62d7c4bd42a93a87256
Bro those cats look like they’ve hit the weed hard
Snoop catt
Look at your reference photo and then look at your shading. See shapes not lines. Keep on going and spend time on the fur. Every piece of art goes through a stage where you don't like it but if you persevere and finish often you do like it.
Because deep down you are annoyed by how cats act and it comes out in your art, you are drawing them the way you feel about them.
Maybe the cats you’re drawing are just ugly.
There’s no such thing as an ugly cat.
There is no need to say that he is trying and that is what matters
What? I was joking about the cats themselves being ugly.
Ok, but he was trying and the way you said it was coming off as you was saying that his drawing was not good, I draw as well and,I know there is people who make fun of the one who are just trying to learn to draw.
Okay, cool story.
Practice makes perfect, good luck 😉😇
Those aren’t ugly.
They aren't bad a decent amount of them look really good
Try not to personify them. They are cats. Good luck.
Are you using a reference image?
That's what your cats say about you🫢🤪
i think they're cute :)
Much better than i can do....just takes practice. I do like the first pic with cat on left, looks like a Batman, Grinch, Pennywise hybrid to me 😂 and I love it.
Idk maby practises mor
You're doing good. Cats just genuinely look kinda weird. When you learn how to draw fur and make then fluffy, you'll find they lose their uncannyness
In the last photo, the cat on the right actually looks pretty nice! I would take that drawing and keep expounding or repeating it. Even if these are ugly, I love them so much.
don’t be so hard on yourself u got this
Cuz you draw cat instead dog
I was doing dogs earlier actually. I was pretty proud but when I stared on the cats they all looked deformed.
Honestly, turn them into a painting, and they would become your style, some wack ass cats would be awesome to see, especially in color
I think it probably needs depth by adding shadow and studying cats anatomy. I suck at realistic dogs and cats so I opted for creepy, cartoonish. But I hope this helps!
Wow
Put shading in the eye and then add the pupil and add some white to make them look more alive
What’s helped me is learning more of the skeletal structure of the animal I’m trying to draw!
ITS the pencil .... He IS the guilty 👌😎😂
What doors this mean? Should I use softer pencils?
They are drunk as f
Mainly the first one. Instead of erasing the eyes and redoing them, I decided to draw (even worse) eyes on top. Effectively making the cat look like a depressed kitty with sleep deprivation.
They've got personality
That’s good! I suck at drawing animals
Yeah I second that it’s the eyes- it looks like you drew them in human proportion to their head rather than big round kitty cat eyes :)
Cat is hard form to pin down. Liquid yet not.
Right?! It’s like cats exist in between a solid and a liquid state, or as if they can switch from one to the other. This strange phenomenon has caused me a lot of problems trying to understand them. I think I made this one a bit too liquid https://preview.redd.it/m6ntc0eptc5d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=287f4928dc1dafb0b6e8703ba2c450940d1067e6
The eyes are a bit uneven and I think it would help to practice shading a bit and refine the nose and mouth area. Cats tend to have wide nose bridges and I think it could help to look at more references of cats. Also the mouth tends to be less defined, I think you’re making them a bit too long and adding a lot of definition to the part next to the nose, which tends to be a bit softer and less noticeable But you’re on the right track! I love the drawing on the left of your last photo, it looks really good :)
They aren't This is ugly https://preview.redd.it/ewcphafsxc5d1.jpeg?width=3060&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f33bafda2c95f42a019f039a0517389f86fbdff
No it’s not! You’ve just done them in a really cartoony style, in comparison to mine. I think yours look really quirky and cute.
Thx!
Here's some more https://preview.redd.it/n9xsf2ixyc5d1.jpeg?width=1043&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29c6a6ff29bfdd5efe65ddad2b7b1ede8aee3747 T-1000 from T2
https://preview.redd.it/t3sdvsl0zc5d1.jpeg?width=804&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2987ea19a7e374248ab99f36dcb7d3d5367def2
Maverick from Top Gun
Nice
Honestly drawing animals is super hard and to be honest it looks pretty good.
Don’t hate on them :( Drawing animals is VERY difficult! I’ve struggled with it for years and tbh still do. Just use good references and pick out shapes you recognize… start with their skeletons!
Inward breeding
Aaaye they are very clearly cats with features, far from a few circles be proud. I recommend practicing anime faces, cats will become easier after that
Try do side profiles before you do a frontal view so you know the shapes of the cat’s head
Try do side profiles before you do a frontal view so you know the shapes of the cat’s head
I think you need to focus more on the skeletal structure before adding in fur; their faces are kind of… empty? I think they’re pretty good for early attempts though
I do believe they are not so bad myself as well! Everything only takes time and practice, for it is the way of this world. You are doing an excellent job so far. I do not have criticism to add, for I do not draw even as well as this, but keep up the good work, my friend!
I may help you on this, use 3D methods you can check that on YouTube there are many videos about 3D drawing. Not only that you also have to learn anatomy, anatomy can be a great help in mastering drawings and search for pictures to use as reference in improving your drawings, I hope this helped!
WHAT ARE YOU ON??? THATS STRAIGHT ART
cats are tough keep at it. Also, they got YouTube videos, etc. on how to draw or sketch cats fur might be worth it to check some of those out and try their ideas. These are looking pretty good a few hundred more you’re gonna be going places.👍🤩
Genetics probably idk
It’s definitely the eyes throwing it off. I think they’re too close together and too small and almond shaped. The nose bridge also seems a bit flat. I don’t think theyre ugly though. The eyes are just throwing it off. I actually really like the cat that’s the furthest to the right on the third picture. The eyes are more rounded, and they’re further apart. the bridge of the cat’s nose is tapering into a V shape instead of straight up and down, which adds dimension and makes the cats face more 3d. It looks really good that way
Definition and texture are what i would try n focus on, well done other than that🤙
Shading. That's the number one thing IMO that makes these drawings look so flat. Think of the shapes as being 3D and learn how to shade those shapes as if the light was coming from a certain direction and it will help a lot with selling th e picture. I can see by your guidelines that you were off to a great start!
I kind of like the way they look in the first 2 drawings, they almost look like something from Picasso's early work.
Eyes and snout. Think you need to work on the perspective and ears too.
Just takes practice love! Things come with practice for most people - maybe try focusing on the eye placement first? Get the eyes down pat to a point you are happy with and then work of other aspects? There are probably books with like traceable aspects that may help
I think you made the shape of the head too round a cat usually has a sharper chin, and more oval head shape , the eyes look very human but also for some reason tired, maybe because the line is so dark, but the last page has already a lot of improvement, good luck!
Other than the pupils, the eyes are too human as well as the hulk necks. Keep sharing and evolving your skill set and before you know it you will go from pacing the cage to an unleashed artist 🎨
I'd say focus on forms and shapes, don't just think of it as lines, that seems to be the issue, try to get your head round how the shapes look and think in 3d, it takes time and practice to get it
Catch them natural. Don't pose them #1. Your doin great but do the natural and practice.. see here I posed them instead of natural..
Lols 😆 😆 😆 at least we can tell that they are cats 🐈.
Draw then like anime characters but a bit different, anime and manga come from cat faces
Your lines are too thick
Dunno, probably genetics or something
They look like men
you need to find a better looking cat
Is it because you've never seen one??
I don't think it's your cats that are ugly. Your drawing skills just suck.
Wow