How to Draw a Cat (Easy Method)
Cats are the internet's favorite drawing subject for a reason: two circles, two triangles, and you're already 80% of the way there.
Every cat starts with the same shapes
- Head: a circle, slightly flattened. Add two triangle ears with inner triangles.
- Body: an oval below — round for a sitting cat, stretched for a walking one.
- Face guides: a shallow cross on the head circle to place the features.
- Features: two almond eyes on the horizontal guide, a tiny triangle nose at the center, and a "W" mouth beneath it. Whisker dots and whiskers.
- Legs and tail: simple U-shaped front legs, a wrapped-around tail for sitting poses.
- Details: chest fluff, ear tufts, and stripes or patches — this is where the personality lives.
Cartoon cats vs. realistic cats
For a cute cartoon or kawaii cat, enlarge the head relative to the body (about 1:1), enlarge the eyes, and shrink the nose and mouth. For realism, the head is closer to a fifth of the body length and the eyes sit halfway down the head. Start cartoon — success comes faster and the shape logic transfers directly to realistic cats later.
Guided cat lessons in DrawUp
DrawUp includes multiple cat tutorials — the sitting calico, the wide-eyed orange kitten, chibi cats and more, alongside hamsters, birds, bees and other animal favorites. Here's what the guided version adds over a static tutorial:
- The construction shapes appear one step at a time, so you always know which circle comes first.
- Your strokes are scored live — round, confident curves are the difference between a plush cat and a lumpy one.
- Finished line art flows straight into coloring mode: calico patches, tabby stripes, or colors no real cat has ever had.
- Each finished cat counts toward achievements — three drawings earns the Doodle Rookie badge, and daily animal prompts keep the streak going.
💡 Tip: cats read as "cute" when the eyes are large and low on the face. If your cat looks off, move the eye line down — it works every time.
