How to Draw a Tiger

A cute sitting tiger with round ears, stripes and a long striped tail in 8 easy steps. In each step the black lines are new and the gray lines are what you have already drawn. Every tiger here comes with four free printables: the steps on one page, a tiger to trace, a coloring page and a draw and write sheet.

Cute tiger, colored in

Cute tiger

Ages 4 to 8. A tiger sitting and facing forward. The black lines are new in each step; the gray lines are already drawn.

  1. Cute tiger step 1: Draw a big round head.Step 1Draw a big round head.
  2. Cute tiger step 2: Add two round ears, with a smaller circle inside each one.Step 2Add two round ears, with a smaller circle inside each one.
  3. Cute tiger step 3: Draw the eyes, the nose and the mouth.Step 3Draw the eyes, the nose and the mouth.
  4. Cute tiger step 4: Add stripes on the forehead and on the cheeks.Step 4Add stripes on the forehead and on the cheeks.
  5. Cute tiger step 5: Draw the sides of the body, with a few stripes.Step 5Draw the sides of the body, with a few stripes.
  6. Cute tiger step 6: Draw the front legs and paws.Step 6Draw the front legs and paws.
  7. Cute tiger step 7: Draw the back legs on each side.Step 7Draw the back legs on each side.
  8. Cute tiger step 8: Finish with a long tail with stripes across it.Step 8Finish with a long tail with stripes across it.
  9. The finished cute tiger, colored inDone!Color it in. Ours is orange with black stripes, but yours can be any color.

Free printables for the cute tiger

Tips for drawing with kids

  1. Pencil firstDraw lightly with a pencil, then go over the lines you like with a marker or a dark crayon and erase the rest.
  2. Say it as you drawRead each step out loud, draw it, then look at the picture again before the next one.
  3. Fill the spaceYoung children draw small. Show where the first shape goes so the tiger fills the box.
  4. Wobbly is fineEvery tiger looks different, and a wobbly tiger is still a tiger. Praise the try, then color it in.

About this tiger drawing

A cute tiger is the same shape as the cat and the lion, and the stripes are what turn it into a tiger. Draw them as short pointed lines coming in from the edges, not all the way across.

For its cousins, see how to draw a lion and how to draw a cat.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you draw an easy tiger?

Draw a round head with round ears, add a face, then stripes on the forehead and cheeks. Draw the body, legs and paws, and a long tail with stripes.

How do I draw tiger stripes?

Draw short pointed lines that start at the edge of the head or body and point inward. Three on the forehead and two or three on each cheek is plenty.

What age is this for?

Ages 4 to 8.

How do I print the sheets?

Each card downloads a PDF. Print it on US Letter paper at 100 percent (actual size). The sheets are black and white, so they print well on any printer.