This is a little insight step by step of how I go about my Bad Cat Portraits drawings. The pictures are not that great but you can see the transition from start to finish.
I start all my drawings in my sketch book. A pet picture with good detail and decent lighting is best for me to sketch from. I have noticed that a picture that picks up the eyes well is very good for me to draw from. I find the eyes can really make the picture. Usually, that's where i start my drawings. I am a hat person, so I like to add hats to my animals, but I like to make sure I add character that fits the animal or person I'm drawing for. For me, I'm all about bicycles! For Hiwa, it's all about candy corn.
There are a few steps missing here. This is now on the final paper. Before I get to this step, I draw, redraw, redraw and redraw on tracing paper to where everything looks right to the littlest detail. ( So I try ). Once the final sketch is drawn and sized to fit on my paper, I use the trusty light table to draw the portrait on the final paper. Begin shading and detailing starts now.
...And I'm drawing and drawing and drawing...
Take a break... Ok, and I'm drawing, drawing...
Finally, the finished portrait. Hiwa and his love for candy corn. Note, don't leave a bag of candy corn out around this cat!