How To Draw A Cat Easily | Watercolor Pencil Tutorial

How To Draw A Cat Easy | Watercolor Pencil Tutorial With Amazrock Art & Craft Channel

In this tutorial, you shall learn step by step how to draw a cat easily and achieve a realistic perspective of the cat’s face and body. This watercolor pencil tutorial is an Amazrock collaboration project with Lindsay Weirich aka “TheFrugalCrafter” (popular artist blogger on Youtube).

Paint A Realistic Drawing Of A Maine Cat Easy

We are excited about this work of art as Lindsay reveals hot tips on how to get the best results from watercolor pencils with dry and wet painting watercolor techniques.

The cat painting easy instruction steps are really fun and simple to follow. The end result is a video tutorial of a beautiful Maine cat drawing and painting done in watercolor. As you know, cats have different kinds of fur which can be challenging to draw and paint. Nevertheless, Lindsay reveals the secret behind the artistic drawing and painting strokes to create realistic long- or short-haired varieties.

Supplies Used In This Tutorial :

Art Supplies Used In This Tutorial To Draw Cat Easy:

Watercolor pencils (Amazrock)
Hot Press Watercolor Paper (Arches)
Masking tape
Board to tape the paper to
Pencil
Water bucket
Golden Taklon paintbrushes
Plastic palette
Reference photo

How To Draw A Cat Easily With Watercolor Pencil Tutorial

Enjoy this full-length video on How To Draw A Cat Easy with Amazrock Watercolor Pencils.

Looking to learn good techniques from Lindsay for drawing and painting? Make sure you watch this full-length watercolor pencils tutorial. You will learn the step-by-step instructions in the video teaching how to draw a cat easily with watercolor pencils.

10 Watercolor Technique Tips | Watercolor Pencils Tutorial – How to Draw A Cat Step by Step

1. Choose the Best Paper Medium For Your Painting

The choice of your paper medium can affect the painting results as you follow the steps on how to easily draw a cat. Watercolor paper or a robust mixed media paper is recommended for the best results. Go for “Hot press paper” for its smooth-like surface drawing paper. It will withstand lots of water and aggressive techniques. Use this paper for botanicals, portraits, or any time you want a smooth line and lots of detail.

You may consider “Cold press paper” if you would like your drawing paper with a bit of tooth or bumpy texture. Choose this if you want to add lots of layers. The rough paper offers more textures (as the name implies). As such, it is ideal for painting landscapes and other subjects where you want a more grainy or expressive look.

2. How to Prevent Warping

Try taping your paper down for warping prevention.

You can use any drawing board you have. Alternatively, you can recycle the cardboard backing from an old paper pad or inexpensive lightweight foam core board.

The plywood/Masonite boards are also great if you prefer working at an easel. The extra weight will keep your painting from rocking as you paint!

Taping the paper down will also give you a beautiful white border if you paint to the edge.

3. Start with an accurate sketch on scratch/drawing paper (aka “How to draw a cat easy”)

Why use an accurate sketch? Making a cat sketch may not be as simple as it sounds for the inexperienced. You would want to make mistakes and corrections on your scratch/drawing paper rather than the more expensive watercolor paper or mixed media paper.

After you are done with drawing a cat sketch, you can transfer it to your fine watercolor paper with graphite paper or a lightbox/window.

P.S. How to draw a cat easy? We have provided a template that you can download to print and trace the cat pattern (Refer to the above link resources).

4. Pick up a color from the tip of your pencil with a wet brush.

This is one way for the wet brush to easily pick up color from the tip of the watercolor pencil. Once you have the required intensity or concentration of colors, you are ready to create wet washes and watercolor effects.

You can also make a palette for your watercolor pencils by sanding a cheap plastic palette. Color the pencils on the plastic and then wet the swatch of color with a brush and paint.

Don’t throw away the broken lead – No more tossing broken points in the trash! Instead, you can save them and use them on the palette. Add some water and you are ready to paint.

NOTE. Wet watercolor pencil lead tends to weaken and becomes more prone to break more easily. Be advised to let the pencil lead dry before sharpening it.

5. How to sharpen your artist-colored pencils?

A handheld or electric sharpener can be used to easily sharpen your artist-colored pencils. However, do note to turn the sharpener and not the pencil. This helps to avoid breakage.

You can also use a craft knife for whittling away the wood and leaving the lead intact for painting. This simple act conserves lead for painting large areas.

6. Watercolor pencils can be used like traditional colored pencils.

Just use your watercolor pencils like dry pencils to draw and color on dry paper for a traditional colored pencil look.

– To achieve drawing the cat fur effect, try the hatching technique

– For shadow effect, try the cross-hatching technique

– To achieve textured effects for the cat hair, try the scumbling (known as scribbling) technique

Have you heard of the “Dry on Wet” drawing technique? Try drawing with a sharp dry pencil on wet paper for darker details. This is known as the “Dry on Wet” technique.

NOTE. For bold expressive marks that will not easily dissolve, do explore how to use a wet pencil to draw on wet paper (known as the Wet on Wet technique).

7. Use a “Wet on Dry” technique for the stippling effect.

Wet on Dry Drawing Technique – How to draw a cat easy

Just dip the pencil’s tip in water and dot on details to easily create the cat’s muzzle. (from which the whiskers protrude)

8. Details are best on dry paper with a sharp pencil.

How do we build depth and dimension for the cat drawing? To achieve realistic paintings with full depth and interest, you would need to master the technique of layering colors and shadows!

NOTE. See the watercolor pencil tutorial video on how to produce the effects with your watercolor pencils and mixed media.

9. Burnishing is used to build up colors and create a smooth glassy look.

Easy Burnishing With Amazrock Watercolor Pencils

Are you looking to create a smooth and glassy look for the cat’s eyes?

To achieve this effect with watercolor pencils, do explore coloring dry on dry and liquefying the pigment with water. It is important to wait for the first layer to dry first!

Next, to complete the burnishing effect, keep coloring (or layering colors) with your watercolor pencils “Dry” until the grain of the paper is full of pigment and the color is rich and vibrant.

10. Mix your media for a full range of effects!

What about adding details for the Cat whiskers? A white paint (or gel) pen will help create bright elegant highlights!

You can also add traditional colored pencils over a watercolor pencil painting as a final layer. Do be aware that watercolor pencils will not stick due to their water solubility as compared with traditional colored pencils.

REMINDER. When your painting is done and it is time to remove your tape to reveal the white border that adds appeal to the beautiful painting of the cat.

Do peel it back flat at a 45-degree angle to discourage paper tearing or heat the tape with a hair dryer to make it easier to remove.

Hope you enjoy this watercolor pencil tutorial article with its top tips and video step-by-step instructions for how to draw a cat easily whether you are a beginner or an artist hobbyist.

Commentary by Lindsay of TheFrugalCrafter

” I hope you enjoyed these watercolor pencil hacks and apply them to your next watercolor pencil project. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting! “