How to Draw Tom (Tom and Jerry)
Use the video and step-by-step drawing instructions below to learn how to draw Tom the cat from the Tom and Jerry cartoon. A new cartoon drawing tutorial is uploaded every week, so stay tooned!
Intro: Start off with a pencil sketch. In the beginning stages, don’t press down too hard. Use light, smooth strokes for sketching.
Step 1: Start by drawing a big circle in the middle of the page. The circle doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s only a guide for Tom’s head.
Step 2: Next, draw two intersecting lines across the circle, one vertical and one horizontal. The vertical line should be closer to the right side. Give these lines a slight bend to contour to the circle.
Step 3: On top of the horizontal line on either side of the vertical line, draw a long arc similar to an upside-down letter U. These will be guides for Tom's eyes. Draw the eye on the right slightly smaller because of perspective.
Step 4: To the right of the vertical line and under the horizontal line, draw a guide for this cartoon cat's nose as a small upside-down triangle.
Step 5: On the bottom part of the circle and on the left side of the vertical line, draw a guide for Tom's mouth. It resembles the letter U with a vertical line over it. Tom's mouth should be grazing the vertical construction line on the right.
Step 6: On the upper right side of the main circle, draw two triangles as guides for Tom's ears. Draw the ear on the left bigger because of the perspective.
Step 7: That's it for the initial sketch! You have the basic Tom shape, so now go in and tighten your drawing. From this point on, press harder with your pencil in order to get darker lines and a more defined sketch.
Step 8: Darken Tom's nose using the initial shape as a guide. Make it more round on the sides. Draw the top part of Tom's mouth using a series of bumps on top that follow the horizontal construction line, and then draw two bigger bumps under his nose.
Step 9: Draw a curved line on the left side of the mouth for Tom's cheek. Draw two long lines on either side of this cartoon cat's mouth for his whiskers.
Step 10: Use the initial U-shape as a guide to draw the mouth and make it bend more. Inside Tom's mouth, draw two bumps for the tongue.
Step 11: Under Tom's mouth, draw a curved line for his lower lip. Draw a jagged line on the left side that connects to Tom's cheek and another on the right that connects to his mouth.
Step 12: Darken the shapes of Tom's eyes. Inside each, draw an oval as the irises, and within each iris draw another oval and shade it in for the pupils. In between Tom's eyes, draw a few curved lines for the design on his forehead.
Step 13: Above Tom's eyes on the top part of the original circle, draw his eyebrows. They’re basically the shape of a crescent moon on its side with a few lines above them to represent wrinkles.
Step 14: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of Tom's head. Draw a couple of hairs on top. Have this cartoon cat's head dip in on the right side near his eye, then have it come back out using a jagged line to draw his cheek. The line on the left also comes out to a point to form Tom's furry cheek.
Step 15: Draw Tom's ears by using the initial triangles as guides. Make them curve more and draw a line inside each to represent the ear's opening. Draw a few curved lines at the base of the ear on the left to represent fur.
Step 16: That’s it! You now have a nice sketch of Tom the cat from Tom and Jerry. You can stop at this quick drawing for a rough, sketchy look or go for a more finished look by continuing to the step below.
Step 17: For a more finished, inked look, carefully draw over the final sketch lines with a pen or marker. Wait for the ink to dry, and then get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser. You now have a finished inked drawing of Tom! You can stop here or go to the final step to complete your Tom drawing.
Final Step: For a completely finished Tom drawing, you have to color it. The main part of his fur is gray; the section between his eyes is a lighter gray. The inside of his ears are pink, and his tongue is red. His eyes are yellow, while the irises are green. The inside of Tom's mouth, his eyebrows and his nose are black. That’s it! You now have a completed drawing of Tom the cat from Tom and Jerry.
