How to Draw a Lions Face

How to Draw a Lions Face:

The lion, being one of the heavier breed of big cat, has a head that is built quite substantially.

The lions thick set powerful body also determines its size head.

Since the lion is not built for great speed, like the cheetah, it's features accommodate it in other ways.

Because the lions face is quite big, you will also find that its jaws are heavy and strong.

Are all big cat faces similar?

In some ways yes, as they are the same species right down to our domestic cat, though many features are different in size.

The study of any feature of an animal really comes down to the study of it's anatomy. Now this is a good idea if you are going to do a fairly detailed picture of your chosen subject.

If you only want to get an all over view, and not go into great detail in how to draw a lions face, then you can just study it at different angles.

And it isn't a bad idea to have other pictures of big cats on hand either to compare the different features from one breed of big cat to another.

This way you get a clearer picture in mind of just how different these big cats are.

As we are focusing on how to draw a lions face, one of the most obvious things we notice about the male lion that is different to all other big cats, it is that big mane of theirs.

Whether it might be like the plumage of a bird to attract a mate, I'm not sure off.

Nether the less, we know for a fact that this feature is not only the most dominating feature of the lion; it is also unique to the big cat species.

In how to draw a lions face, we think of the mane becoming a frame if you like....

It encircles the face of the male lion, and if you look closely at the front of the lions face, you can see that the lion has quite a broad mouth.

It's nose is also quite spread across it's face, compared to some other big cats facial features.

It's cheeks are covered by the mane and it's chin is more or less the same width as the lions muzzle.

" For me a painting is like a story which stimulates the imagination and draws the mind into a place filled with expectation, excitement, wonder and pleasure"
~ J. P. Hughston, painter

Because the lion is a light brown, with the exception of the white color that runs down from it's nose covering in a snow like manner all of it's chin.

You also need to have to take this into account when drawing the lions face as well.

 Using different shading intensities, you will need to draw in more dark and light shadings to bring out these subtle colors in how to draw a lions face.

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The lions face is broad in width, it's heavy muscled eyebrows jut out in a very male like manner.

And the lions top part of its head is fairly flat in appearance.

Drawing the lions ears is never going to be complete, as its ears become lost within it's mane.

Though you will have the chance in drawing the lions whole ears when the lion is a juvenile, and it's main has not fully grown at this time.

With the lions mane beginning further forward on it's head than the ears, you will only need to give a glimpse of the lions ears overall.

Again.... I need to remind you that many of these rules can change, depending on the action of the lion at the time and the environment around him. Motion can create force against the elements...

For example.... if the wind is blowing and the lion is in running very fast.

Then it's mane could be blown away from his ears.

This are going to be facing you as an artist, it is always something that is going to come up all when we draw the lion.

Elements and motion are going to change feature of the lion, such as it's mane.

And how you draw the fur at the time, will indeed make or break your drawings.

In how to draw a lions face... I suggest that you practice on a separate piece of paper, drawing flamboyant strokes with the sweeping of your pencil or even pen until you feel comfortable with how your lines look.

Finding techniques and different ways to have the mane look free in movement, is your step closer to a better overall drawing of a lion.

Refer to my drawings of lions on this page, and just go with it, and don't worry about mistakes, we all need the rubber around at some time or the other.

With natural progression you will want to go on to the drawing lessons on how to draw the whole body of the lion.

And if you decide to draw your lion in ink, draw your lion in pencil first, that way, when your satisfied with the overall drawing and proportions of your lions face.

You have less a worry about when putting pen to paper and making a big mistake, as pen does not take kindly to the attempt of being rubbed out.

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