The first step is to grid the paper and the reference. This will ensure the proportions will be as close as possible.

 

Next is the line drawing. This is just a light sketch of the drawing used as guidelines to help when shading.

 

For shading. I pick a starting point and work in sections, making sure each part is as detailed and neat as I would like before moving on. To shade big areas, I shade a light layer of pencil on the paper and use a blending stump to blend it together. For more detailed sections, I attempt to best emulate the texture seen on the reference. In this case, I had to create the impression of fur on the tiger. Using a sharp pencil, I drew clumps of hair by emphasizing the shadows and highlights.

​