02-37 Siamese Cat

This breed has a distinctive elegance, with its elongated head, slender body, and smoky markings. Begin the effect of the Siamese’s plush, dark fur by first shading a soft outline and then shading to the darkness you want in layers of short strokes.

1 Lightly sketch two connected squares. In them, draw the outline of the top of the cat’s body using slightly broken lines.

2 Sketch two more squares below the first ones, and draw the cat’s lower body, again using broken lines.

3 Erase all the squares, and connect and refine the lines of the cat’s upper body.

4 Do the same with the lines of the cat’s lower body.

5 Draw the features of the face.

6 Shade the ears with gradations.

7 Shade the face with gradations.

Fun Fact

The marking of the Siamese cat’s striking light-to-dark coat is due to a gene mutation resulting in the cat’s fur being colored according to body temperature. The hairs are darker in cooler areas and lighter where the body is warmer.

8 Shade the legs with a medium gray tone that gradually becomes lighter the higher on the legs it gets.

9 Shade the cat’s tail and body with strokes that gradually change direction.

10 Further shade the legs with a range of dark gradations.

11 Add gradations to the eyes, and draw the cat’s whiskers, and shade the shadow on the ground