If you have been scrolling through Pinterest or TikTok lately, you have likely seen them: tiny, potato-shaped cats with thick outlines, often dressed as anime characters or simply vibrating with chaotic energy. Often associated with the artist @basilleaf, this style has become the gold standard for “low stress, high cuteness” doodling.
This style isn’t about realistic anatomy. It’s about converting complex characters and moods into a single, squishy marshmallow shape. Whether you want to draw your favorite Chainsaw Man character as a cat (as seen in your reference!) or just a cat disguised as a pine tree, this guide is your bible.
Below is your master class in the “Basil Leaf” aesthetic, complete with drawing tutorials and inspiration to fill your sketchbook.
Part 1: Deconstructing the Style
Before we get to the ideas, we must master the anatomy of the “Bean.”
The “Golden Rules” of the Basil Leaf Cat
- The Body is a Potato: Forget necks. Forget waists. The head and body are one continuous shape. Think of a marshmallow or a white bean.
- The “Nub” Limbs: Hands are just tiny circles or “nubs” floating near the chest. Legs are often just little stumps at the bottom of the potato. If the cat is wearing a suit or dress, the legs might just be flat lines.
- The “3” Mouth: The quintessential face is wide-set eyes (black dots) and a “w” or “3” mouth. It screams “no thoughts, head empty.”
- Thick Outlines: This style pops because of the line weight. Use a bold marker or a heavy digital brush. The outline should be thicker than the internal detail lines.
- The Cosplay Factor: The humor comes from the contrast. A deadly anime character (like Power or Makima) reduced to a harmless, fluffy bean is instantly funny.
Part 2: The Character Cosplay Collection
As seen in your image, “Basil Leaf” cats love to dress up. This is the most popular category on Pinterest.
1. The Shonen Trio (Action Heroes)
Take serious characters and make them silly.
- The Chainsaw Cat: A white bean cat with a saw blade coming out of its forehead. Add a tie.
- The Jujutsu Sorcerer: A cat with spiky white hair and a blindfold (Gojo Cat).
- The Ninja: A cat with a forehead protector and whisker marks (Naruto style).
- Drawing Tip: Keep the hair recognizable but simplified. If the character has iconic bangs, make them big and chunky.
2. The “Villain” Arc
Villains look adorable in this style.
- The Suit & Tie Villain: A cat in a full black suit (like the Makima/Himeno examples). Add a tiny cigarette or a menacing finger point.
- The Horned Devil: Give the cat bright red horns and a chaotic grin.
- The Eyepatch Cat: One eye is a black dot, the other is covered by a tiny black patch. Instant “cool” factor.
3. Magical Girls & Fantasy
- The Sailor Scout: A cat with a sailor collar and a tiara.
- The Wizard: A cat in a floppy pointed hat that is too big for its head.
- The Healer: A cat holding a tiny staff with a green cross on it.
4. Gaming Icons
- The Plumber: Red hat, ‘M’ logo, mustache.
- The Elf Hero: Green tunic, pointy hat, holding a tiny pixelated sword.
- The Imposter: A cat inside a space suit with a visor.
Part 3: The “Object” Transformations
One of the funniest tropes in this style is the cat becoming an object (like the Christmas tree in your image).
5. The Holiday Special
- The Tree-Cat: The body is a triangle of green pine needles. The cat’s face just pokes out of the middle. Decorate with ornaments.
- The Reindeer: Brown antlers and a bright red nose.
- The Ghost: A white sheet draped over the bean body with eye holes cut out.
- The Pumpkin: A round orange body with a Jack-o’-lantern face, but the cat’s ears poke out the top.
6. Food Crimes
- The Sushi Roll: The cat is wrapped in seaweed (nori) with a piece of salmon on its back.
- The Burger: The cat is the patty, sandwiched between two buns.
- The Ice Cream Scoop: A cone with three scoops—each scoop is a different colored cat head.
- The Boba Tea: A clear cup filled with “liquid cat” and tapioca pearls.
7. Nature & Plants
- The Cactus: A green cat with prickly lines all over.
- The Flower Pot: A terracotta pot where the “plant” is just a cat tail and ears sprouting up.
- The Cloud: A fluffy, white, irregular blob floating in the sky.
Part 4: Moods & Activities
The “Basil Leaf” style excels at showing specific, relatable vibes.
8. The “Vibe” Series (Music & Chill)
- Headphone Cat: Giant over-ear headphones (like in your reference image). Add music notes floating around.
- Gamer Cat: Holding a tiny controller, wearing a headset with a microphone. Eyes are intense.
- Hoodie Cat: The cat is wearing an oversized hoodie where only the nose and eyes are visible.
9. The “Chaos” Series
- The Screamer: Mouth wide open (a big circle), tiny tears flying out.
- The Knife Cat: A cat holding a butter knife. Caption: “Peace was never an option.”
- The Blur: Draw the cat with shaky lines to simulate vibrating motion (zoomies).
10. The “Sleepy” Series
- The Melt: The cat body is flattened like a pancake on the floor.
- The Burrito: Tightly wrapped in a blanket, face poking out.
- The Battery Low: Lying face down, limbs splayed out.
Part 5: Composition Ideas for Pinterest
How to arrange these doodles to get that aesthetic “grid” look.
11. The 3×3 Character Grid
Draw a 3×3 grid on your page. Pick a theme (e.g., “Hogwarts Houses” or “Emotions”) and draw a bean cat for each square.
- Example: Happy, Sad, Angry, Hungry, Sleepy, Manic, Confused, Loved, Bored.
12. The “Inventory” Spread
Draw one main “Basil Leaf” cat in the center. Around them, draw their “inventory” (tiny items floating in space).
- For a Wizard Cat: A potion bottle, a frog, a wand, a spellbook.
- For a Gamer Cat: A soda can, a bag of chips, a mouse, a disc.
13. The Interaction Duo
Draw two bean cats interacting.
- One cat poking the other’s cheek.
- One cat standing on top of the other’s head (The Totem Pole).
- Two cats holding hands (tiny nubs touching).
Part 6: Step-by-Step Tutorial (To Pin!)
If you are creating content, this specific workflow helps you nail the look:
Step 1: The Base
Draw a kidney bean or a gumdrop shape. Keep the bottom flat.
Step 2: The Ears
Draw two small triangles on top. Do not make them too pointy; round the tips slightly for maximum cuteness.
Step 3: The Face Placement (Crucial!)
Place the eyes and mouth lower than you think. A low face on a big forehead makes it look cuter (the “baby schema” effect).
- Eyes: Wide apart.
- Mouth: Small and between the eyes.
Step 4: The Outfit Overlay
Draw the clothes over the bean shape. If drawing a suit, just draw a “V” for the collar and a line down the middle. Do not try to draw shoulders—the bean has no shoulders.
Step 5: The Thick Outline
Go over the outer edge with your thickest pen. This “sticker” look is what defines the Basil Leaf style.
Part 7: Color Palettes to Use
The Basil Leaf style usually uses flat, solid colors with no shading.
- The Classic: White cat, black outlines, one accent color (e.g., Red tie, Green tree).
- The Pastel Goth: Black cat, pastel pink bows, purple eyes.
- The Vintage: Cream-colored paper, brown outlines (instead of black), muted greens and oranges.
50 Rapid-Fire Prompts for your Sketchbook
Stuck? Pick a number and draw!
- Cat in a frog rain coat.
- Cat holding a bubble tea.
- Cat as a fried egg.
- Cat wearing cool sunglasses.
- Cat with a tiny sprout on its head.
- Cat tangled in yarn.
- Cat inside a stocking.
- Cat as a vampire (tiny fangs).
- Cat holding a sign that says “No.”
- Cat wearing a party hat.
- Cat as a loaf of bread.
- Cat with butterfly wings.
- Cat in a cardboard box tank.
- Cat eating a noodle.
- Cat with a flower crown.
- Cat in a shark onesie.
- Cat holding a heart.
- Cat typing on a laptop.
- Cat as a ghostbuster.
- Cat with a balloon.
- Cat in a tea cup.
- Cat reading a book.
- Cat with a mustache.
- Cat as a pirate.
- Cat in a space ship.
- Cat sleeping on a cloud.
- Cat as a strawberry.
- Cat with a backpack.
- Cat holding a sword.
- Cat crying over spilled milk.
- Cat as a detective (magnifying glass).
- Cat wearing a bowtie.
- Cat in a raincoat.
- Cat holding a wand.
- Cat as a bee.
- Cat with a bandaid on its head.
- Cat holding a phone.
- Cat in a trash can (Oscar style).
- Cat as a hotdog.
- Cat looking at a bug.
- Cat with messy hair.
- Cat wearing a scarf.
- Cat as a snowman.
- Cat holding a lantern.
- Cat in a pile of leaves.
- Cat with a fish bone.
- Cat as a demon slayer.
- Cat wearing a mask.
- Cat holding a tiny umbrella.
- Cat winking.
