Tiger Drawing: Easy Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Stripes, whiskers, and a whole lot of attitude — that’s everything a tiger needs, and today it’s everything you’ll draw. This guide shows you how to draw a tiger the friendly way: a round-faced, chubby-pawed cub built from shapes you already know how to make. No jungle experience necessary.

Here’s the secret nobody tells you: a tiger is really just a big striped version of the kitty from our cat drawing tutorial. Same round head, same triangle ears — we just paint on some zigzags and turn up the confidence. 🐾

Sharpen that pencil. The jungle is waiting.

What You’ll Need

• Paper
• A pencil
• An eraser
• Orange and black markers or crayons (optional)

Step 1: Start With a Big Round Head

Draw a big circle in the upper half of your paper, about the size of a cookie. Tiger cubs have heads that look almost too big for their bodies — that’s what makes them adorable — so don’t be shy about the size. Keep the line light and loose; a slightly squashed circle works even better than a perfect one. Leave room below for a small, chubby body.

Step 2: Add Rounded Ears and Fluffy Cheeks

On top of the circle, draw two little half-circles like the tops of muffins — tiger ears are round, not pointy like a house cat’s. Put a smaller half-circle inside each one. Then, on the left and right sides of the face, add three short zigzag points for fluffy cheek fur. Those little cheek tufts are doing half the cuteness work, so make them proud and pointy.

Step 3: Build the Muzzle and Nose

In the lower middle of the face, draw a sideways oval, like a small egg lying down. On top of it, add a rounded triangle nose pointing down. From the bottom of the nose, drop a tiny line that splits into two small curves — that’s his mouth, already halfway to a smile. The muzzle should sit low on the face, leaving lots of forehead above it.

Step 4: Give Him Bright Eyes and Brows

Above the muzzle, draw two big oval eyes, each with a little white circle left empty inside so they sparkle. Space them wide apart — wide-set eyes make baby animals. Add one short dash above each eye for eyebrows, and suddenly he has an expression!

Step 5: Attach the Chubby Body

Under the head, draw a shape like a loaf of bread, a bit narrower than the head and about the same height. Drop two straight front legs from the chest, side by side, ending in round paws. Two short curves on each paw split it into soft little toes. Keep the legs short and stubby — cubs are built like plush toys, not racehorses.

Step 6: Add the Back Leg and Curling Tail

On the right side of the body, draw a big backwards “C” for his haunch — a round hill of a leg — with a paw tucked at the bottom. From behind it, swoop out a long tail, thick as a rope, that curls up at the end like a question mark that forgot its dot. Let the tail wander — a wiggly tail says “playful” better than any face can.

Step 7: Paint On the Stripes

Now for the magic. Draw little triangles that point inward from the edges: two on each side of the face, a few along the back, a couple on each leg, and rings around the tail. Each stripe is fat at the edge and sharp at the tip, like tiny ice cream cones. Don’t line them up perfectly — wobbly stripes look more natural, and no two real tigers wear the same pattern anyway.

Step 8: Color Your Cub

Erase leftover sketch lines, then color him warm orange with a white muzzle, chest, and inner ears. Fill the stripes in black and dot three whisker freckles on each side of the muzzle. If you’re using crayons, press harder along the back and softer on the belly for a quick shading trick. Add a few blades of grass under his paws and your cub is home. 🎨

Tips to Make Your Tiger Drawing Even Cuter

• Draw one paw lifted mid-wave — a waving tiger is impossible not to love.
• A tiny pink tongue peeking out of the smile adds instant baby-animal energy.
• Try a white tiger: keep the stripes but color the fur snowy with ice-blue eyes.
• Put a butterfly on the tip of his tail and let his eyes look up at it.
• Rosy blush ovals under the eyes soften even the fiercest little face.

FAQ

Is it hard to draw a tiger?

A realistic tiger, sure. This cartoon cub, not at all — it’s a circle, a bread loaf, and some triangle stripes, and beginners usually nail it on the very first try.

How do I make the stripes look right?

Start each stripe at the outside edge of the body and pull inward, lifting your pencil so the line tapers to a point. Uneven spacing actually looks better than perfect rows.

What age can kids draw this tiger?

Around age five with a grown-up drawing along, and totally solo by seven or eight. The stripes are the fun part everyone fights over, so consider drawing two tigers and splitting the striping duties.

Look at that — you’ve got a tiger cub grinning back at you, stripes and all! Every one you draw will get bolder, so fill a whole page with a striped family. We’d love to draw with you over on our YouTube channel, and if this cub stole your heart, meet his majestic cousin in our lion drawing guide next. ✏️