How to Draw a Cartoon Lion: Easy 10-Step Guide for Kids

Bring the king of the jungle to life with this simple drawing tutorial designed for young artists ages 5 and up. You will only need a pencil, an eraser, and a piece of paper to master this friendly lion character. Follow these steps to build confidence in your sketching skills while creating a fun safari friend.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A friendly, finished cartoon lion drawing, perfect for kids to learn from.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Lion's Head

Pencil outline of a cartoon lion's head shape showing brow and cheek curves.

Start by drawing the lion's head. Use soft, curved lines to shape the brow, cheeks, and chin. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil grip loose to make these curves look natural and friendly.

Step 2: Starting the Body

Drawing the lion's back and first front leg with visible toe details.

Draw a gentle curve below the head for the back, then add the front leg using overlapping lines. Tip: The overlapping lines at the bottom create the toes—think of them like little rounded bumps.

Step 3: Adding the Second Leg

Adding the second front leg to the lion's body using simple C-curves.

Draw the second foreleg next to the first. Use vertical lines for the sides and 'C' shaped curves for the toes. Tip: Make sure the legs look like they are standing firmly on the ground.

Step 4: Drawing the Hind Legs

Sketching the lion's back, hips, and crouching hind leg.

Outline the back and hips with a long, smooth curve. Add the crouching hind leg using more 'C' shapes for the toes. Tip: Imagine the lion is sitting or crouching, which gives the drawing a sense of action.

Step 5: The Tail and Tuft

Adding a long, pointed tail with a fluffy tuft of fur at the end.

Extend two curved lines to create a long, flowing tail that meets at a point. Add a bushy tuft of fur at the end. Tip: Use quick, flicking motions with your pencil to make the fur look fluffy.

Step 6: Expressive Eyes

Drawing the lion's eyes with pupils and eyebrows for character expression.

Draw two large circles for the eyes, adding smaller circles inside for pupils. Shade the space between them. Add curved lines above for eyebrows. Tip: The eyebrows help give your lion a friendly, happy expression.

Step 7: Face Details

Adding the nose, mouth, and whiskers to complete the lion's face.

Draw a small triangle nose, a 'U' shape above it, and a 'W' shape for the mouth. Add whiskers on the sides. Tip: Keep the nose small to make the lion look cuter.

Step 8: The Majestic Mane

Sketching the lion's large, bushy mane around the face.

Draw the bushy mane using jagged, curved lines around the head. Tip: Don't worry about making the mane perfectly symmetrical; lions have wild, messy hair!

Step 9: Adding Ears

Adding the final ear details to the lion's head.

Finish the head by adding two semicircles for the ears, with a smaller curved line inside each. Tip: Placing the ears near the top of the mane makes them stand out.

Step 10: Bring Your Lion to Life with Color

A fully colored cartoon lion with a sandy yellow body and brown mane.

Time to color! Use sandy yellows for the body and a darker brown or orange for the mane. Tip: Try using different shades of brown to add depth and texture to the mane.