How to Draw a Lion for Leo

You just need the head of this dramatic animal for an illustration of the Leo sign.

A different planet of the solar system governs each of the 12 signs of the zodiac. Each sign has its own animal or human figure that symbolizes the strengths and weaknesses of the particular sign. For example, the twins represent the Gemini sign and the bull represents the Taurus sign. The Leo sign, for all birthdays from July 23 to August 22, has the king of the jungle to represent it. If you'd like to draw this remarkable animal for yourself or someone else, you can simply focus on rendering the head of this beast as a powerful representation.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Sketch paper

Instructions

1. Draw a circle in the center of your page. This circle is going to be the lion's head, without the mane. Draw a circle 1/4 of the size of the first, slightly overlapping the bottom of this circle. This will be the snout of the animal. Draw a faint X shape over this circle. This will be the beginning of the mouth. Draw two small circles on the top right and left sides of the main circle. These will be the ears.

2. Sketch two faint lines from the sides of the far bottom circle and up past the middle of the main circle. These will represent the sides of the animals snout. At the top of each of these lines, draw a small circle. These will be the eyes.

3. Create a large round oval around the circle that acts as the lion's head. Draw in the bushiness of this circle with ticks and flicks of your pencil, creating depth and shadow. This will be the mane of the lion.

4. Erase the lines of your main circle and draw tick marks that indicate the mane overlapping past the ears and sides of the face. Smooth out the X lines of the snout, rounding them. Draw a few whiskers coming out of either side.

5. Draw a small star above your lion's right eye. Draw another star below and to the immediate right of the lion's right eye. Render another star on the left side of the lion's mane, just below the left eye.

6. Sketch another star 1/2 inch below the last star you drew. Draw another star 2 inches to the left of this last star you created.

7. Illustrate another star 1 inch to the left and 1 inch down from the last star you drew. Create a star 1 inch to the right and 1/4 inch up from this last star.

8. Draw a star 2 inches to the right and 1/2 inch up from the last star drawn. Create a final star 1/2 inch up from that one. You've now created the constellation Leo, overlapping and blossoming out of your lion's head.

References

• "How to Draw Animals"; Jack Hamm; 1969
• Zodiac Signs: Leo Constellation in The Zodiac