Here is the best place to learn how to draw a cat. Just cast aside all “buts’’ and read on.

		A lot of people in the modern world firmly believe that they are not capable of producing a good realistic drawing of any kind let alone to draw the living being like an animal or human. It is a custom to think that artists possess some kind of special inborn talent which enable them to draw. That is only true to the certain extent. Yes, great artists are gifted with above average creative abilities but drawing is only a craft, an acquired skill which helps them to express this creativity. The good news is this skill is perfectly possible to learn by any average individual, capable of reading and writing. Learning to draw is similar to learning to swim or learning to ride a bike.
The trick if you want to draw is to change the way you used to look at the objects in front of you. Really it is less complicated then it sounds and through some perseverance you will soon discover how easy it is. Here is the step by step guide how to draw a cat. The same technique applies to drawing just about anything. Once you've mastered the skill of drawing the world will never be the same for you because you will look at it with slightly different eyes. You will be more confident, more fulfilled human being ready and capable to take your love for cats on the different level.
Well here's what I do when I sit down to draw a cat:
	First of all I chose the nice photograph which inspires me at this particular moment. It is nice to do the sketches from life but to make a detailed drawing you will need a lot of time and Her Majesty the Cat will probably not be prepared to grant you this time. So it's best if you take a lot of photos and then chose something which suits your mood and teases your creativity. Artists are always children on their time and so they use all the technical tools which their time can offer in order to do the job well. Durer used the glass picture planes, Vermeer used the camera obscura, Impressionists started to use photographs. Nowadays artists use all kinds of modern equipment including videos and computers.
			Here is the picture I chose for our first exercise. This a side photograph of a white and ginger cat named Ziggy. A charming peaceful creature. Just click on it and print the enlarged image 1:1. Next step is to find the right composition.
	To do that I would carefully examine the pose. I'd squint my eyes so that they are almost shut. This is the good way to help you to see the whole shape of the subject you are about to draw. Important thing is not to hurry. Take your time, get familiar with your model, try to imagine how would you like your final picture to look. Actually I made this task very easy for you here because I have already cropped the image to make a dissent portrait composition. Generally the object of your drawing should be neither too big nor too small compared to the outer frame of the picture. Don't forget that the empty spaces are also part of the composition. The big help in determining the right composition is the viewfinder - usually the little cardboard frame of the same proportions as your drawing paper. Our today's task however doesn't allow us to try out this helpful device. We will use the piece of the tracing paper instead. Place it over the printout and trace the outside boundaries. Then study the image carefully and chose the part that you want to make your constant against which you are going to check all the proportions. I chose the forehead line.
	Now position the photograph in front of your eyes at the distance a bit longer then your outstretched arm. Open your drawing pad and find centre points of each of the for sides of your paper. Using the ruler join two vertical ones and two horizontal ones to form two fine light lines crossing perpendicularly in the centre of your drawing field.
	Your next step is to find where your constant is on the paper. You have probably done some fun copying by squares when you were a child. Here you will try to do the similar thing. Look again in the viewfinder and memorise in which square and approximately at which angle your constant is on the original. Then find the same spot on your paper. Carefully recreate your constant with the pencil how you have seen it aplying very little prsssure. Check and double check its position and length relative to the inside crosshairs and the ouside boundaries.
	Now start carefully to build up your image adding one detail at the time. Observe the model and analyse it in the following terms: How long is this line compare to that one? If I mentally prolong this line where would it meet this perpendicular one? How steep is the angle between this line and the horizontal or vertical guide. You can use the hairlines crossing in the middle as the horizontal and vertical guides as well as the sides of your drawing/composition in the viewfinder.
	Proceed slowly and attentively. First try to guess which way the line goes then double-check through the viewfinder if in doubt. Always remember that you only need to draw what you see. If you face a difficulty, remind yourself that all the answers are before your eyes. The key is to stop thinking cat and start thinking shapes - mostly rectangles and triangles - and lines. To help you to do this turn the photograph upside down from time to time.
	When you are fairly satisfied with the basic outline you can start to introduce some shading.
	Start with the darkest place and compare the rest against it try to determine what is lighter. Again squint your eyes often. In the tonal work it is an essential method to see the grades of light and dark.
	It often helps to give the right sort of tone to the negative (empty spaces around your model.
	Here is the final stage of my drawing. I find it rather hard to chose the right moment to stop the work. Overdoing it can ruin all your efforts just like your dinner can be ruined by sitting too long in the oven.
	I hope you did enjoy this little exercise. Don't feel discouraged if your first attempt didn't please you as much as you might have hoped. Just like any new skill drawing needs some practice and getting used to. I am very curious to see the result of your efforts. Please do get in touch if you would like to send me the scan of your drawing.

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