How to Draw a Lion Step by Step - 22 Easy Steps!

In this fun and easy lion drawing tutorial, you’ll learn how to draw a lion step by step.

This tutorial is great for beginner artists (both kids and adults) who want to improve their drawing skills.

Lions are one of the most popular subjects for drawing, so you can use this tutorial to create your own unique lion drawing.

There are a few basic shapes that you can use to create your lion drawing. Lion drawings can be broken down into several simple components: legs, head, body, mouth, and tail.

Once you have sketched out these basic shapes, start adding details and shading that will help bring the lion to life.

Fun Fact: Did you know that lions are often referred to as the “King of Beasts” and it is considered the second-largest living cat after the tiger?

Once you have completed this tutorial, you’ll end up with an awesome lion drawing.

What You’ll Need for Your Lion Sketch

We’ll be creating our simple lion drawing using the following materials:

• A piece of paper
• A pencil
• An eraser

How to Draw a Lion Step by Step

Follow our step-by-step tutorial shows how to draw a lion.

We’ve included all the steps in detail so that the process is easier to follow.

So, let’s get started!

The collage above shows each step of the process so you know what your lion drawing should look like at each stage. 

Instructions

Tip: Make sure you don’t press too hard on the paper when you draw your pencil lines so that you can correct your mistakes with an eraser as you go through the tutorial.

How to Sketch a Lion Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Draw the Lion’s Head

Start by drawing a small oval for the head.

Step 2: Draw the Lion’s Body Shape

Draw a much bigger oval for the body.

Step 3: Connect the Head with the Body with construction lines

A. Draw a long curved line starting on top of the head and finishing at the back of the body.

B. Draw another shorter curved line coming at the bottom of the bigger oval.

Step 4: Draw the Lion’s Face

Draw two small lines at the end of your small oval. Then connect them with a smaller line in between.

Step 5: Draw Lion’s Mane

Using light pencil marks, draw a lion’s mane with curved lines starting at the top of the head and making sure it connects with the face lines you created in step 4.

Step 6: Draw the First Front Leg

Draw the first leg by drawing two slightly curved vertical lines. Start at the bottom left side of the bigger oval and slightly to the right of the mane you created in step 5.

Then draw a small horizontal line at the bottom of the vertical lines for the foot.

Step 7: Draw the First Front Paw

Draw the first paw by creating a small oval joining the bottom of the left side of the leg and the footline.

Then draw a few small lines inside of the foot for the toes.

Step 8: Draw the Second Front Leg and Paw

Draw the second leg using two main lines.

• First line: Connect a small curved horizontal line from the top right side of the left leg.
• Second line: create a vertical line coming from the body and curving to the right.

Then, join the lines together to create the foot and add some very small lines inside of the foot for the toes.

It should look like the lion is holding up the leg and paw.

Step 9: Draw the First Back Leg

Draw two curved lines but on the other side of the medium oval.

• The left side of the leg should join further into the body.
• The right side of the leg should join to the back of the body line and curve around.

Step 10: Draw the First Back Paw

Connect the bottom of the leg lines to create the back paw.

Add some lines inside for the toes.

Step 11: Draw the Second Back Leg

• Draw two lines coming from the back leg you created in step 9.
• Join them at the bottom to create the paw.
• Add some small lines inside of the paw for the toes.

Step 12: Draw the Lion’s Tail

Start by drawing two curved lines connected to the right of the body to create the tail.

Then, draw a horizontal oval shape at the end to join the two lines.

Now is the time to draw lion face features including the lion’s snout and eyes.

Step 13: Draw the Lion’s Nose

Using a triangle shape draw the nose of your lion.

Step 14: Draw the Lion’s Mouth

Draw a tiny horizontal line just below the nose to create the mouth.

Step 15: Draw the Lion’s Eye

Draw a half circle for an eye and shade it in with your pencil.

Step 16: Draw the Lion’s Ears

Draw a tiny oval shape on the top of the head with a small shaded circle in the middle.

Step 17: Outline the Lion’s Mane

Draw a few darker curved lines around the mane to give it more definition.

Step 18: Erase Pencil Marks

Erase any unwanted inner and outer pencil lines.

Step 19: Add Fur to the Tail and Outline Your Drawing

• Add a fur effect to the tail by adding curved lines around the small circle at the end of the tail.
• Draw a small horizontal oval shape inside of the oval shape at the end of the tail to add more detail to the fur.

Then, go over your lion drawing with darker pencil marks to make it look more realistic.

Step 20: Draw the Floor

Finished line drawing with a few horizontal lines to create the floor.

Step 21: Add Texture to the Mane

Draw small curved lines all around the mane you created in step 5, to give it a textured look.

Step 22: Add the Details

Finish your lion line drawing by adding several small lines across the body to add more detail.

You can also add darker pencil marks to the outline of the mane to make it stand out more.

Congratulations!

Now you know how to draw a lion step by step.

Bonus Tips on How to Improve Your Easy Lion Drawing:

Practice drawing the basic lines and shapes of a lion and look at photographs or images to get an idea of how these shapes fit together.

Don’t worry if your lion easy drawing isn’t perfect the first time, the more you practice the better you will get!

Be sure to practice this lion drawing until you get it just right. Then, try drawing other animals, like a cat or a dog.

Soon, you’ll be a master at animals drawings!

Looking for more similar drawing ideas? Search our list of 101+ Drawing Ideas.

Happy drawing!