Forehead close up: level stripes like lines of handwritingOrange, black, white. Paint the short level stripes between the ears before anything else.
Half a tiger face at the paper's edge, whiskers reachingOrange, white, black. Crop the face down the nose and pull the whiskers far across the page.
Single tiger eye with three black stripes bending past itYellow, black, white, orange. Paint the eye first and bend three stripes around its outer corner.
Sleepy tiger face resting on two crossed pawsOrange, white, black, tan. Paint the paws first as two rounded blocks and lay the chin across them.
Tiger face as a paper-plate circle with two round earsOrange, black, white, pink. Trace a plate, add two half-circle ears and paint stripes in from the rim.
Tiger face head-on, filling the paper from ear to earOrange, white, black, pink. Start with the pink nose in the exact middle and work outward to ears at both edges.
Tiger face mirrored in a pool as it drinksOrange, white, black, blue. Repeat the face upside down below the waterline, broken by ripples.
Tiger looking up, chin lifted, white throat showingOrange, white, black, green. Tilt the face so the white chin and throat take the lower half.
Tiger muzzle close up, long white hairs fanning to each sideWhite, black, pink, orange. Dot four rows on each side of the nose and pull a whisker from every dot.
Tiger profile with a ruff of long cheek furOrange, white, black, teal. Flick the cheek fur outward and down with a nearly dry brush.
Two round eyes and a pink nose on solid orangeOrange, yellow, pink, black. Fill the page with orange and add only eyes, nose and six stripes.
Yawning tiger, pink tongue curled, eyes squeezed shutOrange, pink, white, black. Open the mouth into a tall oval and close the eyes with two short arcs.
Stripes 12
Fork-combed stripes on a cut-out tiger shapeOrange, black, in tempera on paper. Drag a plastic fork through wet black paint to rake the stripes.
Handprint tiger: an orange palm with striped finger legsOrange, black, white, in finger paint. Press one orange handprint sideways and stripe it when dry.
Level stripes on the legs, upright stripes on the bodyOrange, black, white. Change the direction of the stripes where the leg meets the body.
Sponge-printed tiger body with brushed stripesOrange, black, white. Stamp an oval body and a round head with a sponge and stripe them when dry.
Stripe pattern filling the page, no tiger outline at allOrange, black. Paint the page orange, let it dry and add wavy black stripes that fork and taper.
Stripes in rainbow colors inside a black tiger outlineRed, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, black. Draw the outline in black and paint each stripe a new color.
Stripes scratched out of black crayon over orange paintOrange, yellow, black crayon. Paint orange, crayon black over it when dry and scratch the stripes back.
Stripes that split in two like a letter Y along the flankOrange, black, white. Fork some stripes at one end and leave others as single tapering lines.
Tiger flank close up, fur strokes all running one wayOrange, ochre, black, white. Lay short strokes in the direction the fur grows, then the stripes over them.
Tiger tail curling across the paper, banded in black ringsOrange, black, white. Paint a long S, band it from base to tip and end on a black point.
Torn black paper stripes glued onto a painted orange tigerOrange, white, black paper. Paint the tiger, tear strips of black paper and glue them on as stripes.
Two tigers with different stripes, like two fingerprintsOrange, black, white. Paint two matching shapes and give each one its own pattern.
In grass and jungle 12
Orange tiger on a plain green hill under a yellow sunGreen, orange, black, yellow. Paint the hill as one curve and the tiger standing on top of it.
Paw prints in soft mud leading into the reedsBrown, tan, green. Print one large pad and four toes, repeat it and end at a wall of reeds.
Tiger at sunset as a striped shape on a ridgeOrange, yellow, black. Blend the sky and paint the tiger dark with a few orange gaps for stripes.
Tiger crossing a stream on a fallen logOrange, brown, blue, green. Paint the log level and place one paw directly in front of the other.
Tiger eyes and ears showing above tall grassYellow green, orange, black, white. Paint the top of the head and flick grass up over the rest.
Tiger lying in the shade of a big leafOrange, black, dark green, green. Arch one broad leaf over the tiger and dull the orange beneath it.
Tiger peeking around a tree trunk, half a faceBrown, orange, black, white. Paint the trunk as a wide band and half the face beside it.
Tiger resting in dry golden grass, nearly the same colorGold, ochre, orange, black. Keep the grass and the coat close in color so the stripes do the work.
Tiger stretched along a fallen trunk, one paw hangingOrange, brown, black, green. Lay the body along the trunk and let one front paw drop over its side.
Tiger tail sticking up out of long grass like a flagGreen, orange, black. Paint only the banded tail above a field of upward flicks.
Tiger wading chest-deep in a forest poolOrange, teal, white, black. Hide the legs under the water and ring the body with two ripples.
Tiger walking through bamboo, its stripes lost among stemsGreen, orange, black, yellow green. Paint the upright stems in front of the tiger as well as behind.
Cubs 12
Cub asleep across its mother's two front pawsOrange, black, white, tan. Paint the big paws side by side and drape the small cub over both.
Cub batting at the tail of the cub in frontOrange, white, black, green. Lift one front paw toward the banded tail of the cub walking ahead.
Cub chewing its mother's ear while she ignores itOrange, white, black. Paint the large calm face first and the cub hanging on at one side.
Cub face peeking over a log, paws on topBrown, orange, white, black. Paint the log across the page and two paws and a face above it.
Cub hiding under its mother's chin, only its ears in viewOrange, black, white. Paint the mother's head low and wide and two small round ears below her chin.
Cub looking down from the fork of a tree, tail hangingBrown, orange, black, green. Seat the cub in the fork and let its banded tail drop straight down.
Cub napping in a tight circle, tail wrapped to its noseOrange, black, white. Paint a circle, wrap the tail around its edge and tuck the nose in.
Cub pouncing on a falling leafOrange, black, red, yellow. Stretch the front paws forward and put one bright leaf just ahead of them.
Cub splashing a paw in a puddle, drops in the airOrange, blue, white, black. Lift one paw and dot white drops above the water.
Cub with its first try at a roar, mouth a small OOrange, pink, white, black. Open a small round mouth and squeeze the eyes nearly shut.
Three cubs in a row behind their mother's tailOrange, black, white, green. Line up three small tigers, each a little smaller than the one in front.
Tiger cub sitting up, head too big for its bodyOrange, white, black, pink. Paint the head as wide as the body and the paws round and large.
White tigers and snow 12
Blue-eyed white tiger looking through falling snowWhite, blue, black, gray. Paint the face, let it dry and dot snow across it with a cotton swab.
Orange tiger lying on a snowy ledge, legs folded underWhite, orange, black, pale blue. Paint the ledge as a white slab edged in pale blue and lay the tiger along it.
Orange tiger walking through deep snow, a trench behind itWhite, orange, black, pale blue. Shade the trail pale blue and dust snow on the tiger's back.
Tiger asleep in snow, a dusting of white along its backOrange, white, black, pale blue. Lay a broken line of white along the top of the sleeping shape.
Tiger crossing a frozen river at dusk, violet shadowsViolet, pink, orange, white, black. Stretch a violet shadow from each paw across the pale ice.
Tiger in a thick winter coat, snowflakes on its whiskersOrange, white, black, gray. Fluff the outline of the cheeks and neck and dot flakes with a cotton swab.
Tiger tracks across a snowy clearing, pines behindWhite, pale blue, dark green. Paint a line of blue paw prints from the trees to the front edge.
Tiger's breath as a cloud on a cold blue morningOrange, white, pale blue, black. Dab a soft white puff in front of the open mouth with a sponge.
White tiger and orange tiger side by side, the same poseWhite, orange, black, blue. Paint the pose twice and change only the coat and the eye color.
White tiger cub against dark green leavesWhite, black, dark green, blue. Paint the leaves first so the pale cub stands out in front.
White tiger face with blue eyes on a pale blue groundWhite, black, blue, pale blue, pink. Shade the white face with pale blue and paint the eyes bright blue.
White tiger lying down, black stripes on cream-white furCream, white, black, gray. Paint the body cream-white, shade it in gray and add the stripes last.
How it works
The coat of a tiger is orange, paling to white underneath, with black stripes over the top. No two tigers have the same stripes, so a wobbly, uneven pattern is the correct one.
Read the full guide
Orange first, white next, black last
Paint the whole tiger orange. Add white at the muzzle, brows, chest and belly while you wait, then let everything dry. Stripes go on last, each one tapering to a point. They run upright on the body and level on the legs and forehead.
Easy tiger painting ideas on paper
Several of the Stripes ideas need paper and no drawing skill: Fork-combed stripes on a cut-out tiger shape, Handprint tiger: an orange palm with striped finger legs, and Torn black paper stripes glued onto a painted orange tiger among them.
Questions and answers
Are these free tiger painting ideas for beginners?
Yes. Easy first tigers, under More filters, holds 22. Two round eyes and a pink nose on solid orange is a face in four colors, and Stripe pattern filling the page, no tiger outline at all has no drawing in it.
What are some cute tiger painting ideas?
Twelve sit under Cubs: Tiger cub sitting up, head too big for its body, Cub napping in a tight circle, tail wrapped to its nose, Cub pouncing on a falling leaf. A cub keeps close to its mother for around two years.
What colors do kids need to paint a tiger?
Orange, black and white, plus pink for the nose and green for grass. A white tiger swaps the orange for white shaded with pale blue, and has blue eyes.
How do you paint tiger stripes?
With the tip of a round brush on dry orange: press, pull and lift so each stripe ends in a point. Fork a few like a letter Y, and make the two sides of the face match only roughly.