Drawing doesn’t have to be complicated. If you also ask yourself, “how to draw a dog step by step?”, in this article we will tell you what methods you can use to draw animals easily.
If you feel that drawing is not your thing or that your animal drawings are not “real” enough, we have to tell you something: there is no absolute way to draw or sketch animals. Besides, there are several pencil drawing techniques.
Sometimes, we can be very demanding with ourselves and think that “we don’t know how to draw”. False. Remember that drawing is a human ability. And if our ancestors did it, why not you? Most probably you lack practice, but that will be solved today, shall we start?
how to draw animals?
The key to learn how to draw animals is to identify their basic shapes. what does that mean?
For example, if we look closely a dog’s head reminds us of a circle, right? So, to draw a dog or any other animal, we could start by drawing its head from a circular shape.
How to draw animals from circular shapes
In his book “Rough”, Pierre Pochet, says that “just like the human body, the body of most animals can be broken down into simple shapes.”
what are these simple shapes? The basic geometric shapes are: square, circle, triangle and rectangle. Although the most commonly used shapes are circular.
Preston Blair, one of the great masters of animation, built his animated characters from circular and rounded shapes.
Blair conceived and gave life to Mickey Mouse in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (from the movie “Fantasia”), as well as some parts of Pinocchio and a sequence from “Bambi”, etc.
“The cartoon character is born from a circular shape. In animation studios, the same drawing passes through the hands of several people, who use this shape because it is the simplest, that is, because it facilitates their work,” he says in his book Cartoons, the drawing of cartoons at your fingertips.
Here we can see how to draw a dog step by step according to Blair:
Images: “Cartoons, cartoon drawing at your fingertips”. Preston Blair. 1999
In fact, Andrew Loomis, a leading illustrator of the 1940s, devised a methodology for drawing the human head and face from a circle (representing the domed structure of the skull). This method is still one of the most influential.
Here are some visual examples of how to identify the basic shapes in animals. Dog, cat and rabbit are generally easy animals to draw.
Photos: Canva
Now do it yourself. If you don’t know how to draw animals, look for an image of a dog or other animal, observe the proportions of its body and use circular shapes to draw it.
how to draw animals easy?
To simplify is to make something easier. did you know that you can draw animals easy by simplifying? And no, we mean simplifying exponents, but synthesizing figures by geometric shapes, lines and planes. In this case: simplifying animals.
Graphic synthesis to draw animals easy
For Caribay, graphic designer and teacher of the course Traditional Illustration: Express yourself through color, graphic synthesis or image synthesis is the following:
“Graphic synthesis is the way we have to simplify an object, a human being, animal, plant or space, without losing its original information”.
Surely you have not realized it, but the emoticons we use every day on WhatsApp or Instagram are examples of graphic synthesis. For example, when we write two dots and a “D” we understand that it is a smile.
“The emoticons we use almost every day are one of the greatest forms of synthesis. They synthesize expressions or objects with few elements.”
In conclusion, we can say that graphic synthesis is “summarizing without losing information”. And that is what we propose you to do so that you can draw animals in a simpler way.
An example of graphic synthesis
Image: Slideshare
The anatomy of a dog
If you are interested in drawing realistic animals and especially in drawing a dog, the first thing you have to do is to study its anatomy.
did you know that a dog’s skeleton is made up of 321 bones? Although this number may vary according to the breed of the dog.
how to draw a realistic dog? Knowing that its body is divided into three parts:
Head: its shape varies according to the breed.
Body: the base of the neck, the neck, the rib region, the back, the rump and the tail.
Limbs: divided into front and hind limbs.
Dogs have 4 toes on the front legs and 4 or 5 on the hind legs.
how to draw a dog’s face?
To draw a dog’s face, you can resort to geometric figures. In fact, this is a practical way to teach how to draw animals for children. Here the steps are very simple:
Draw a circle and then add two ovals on both sides (ears)
Make a not so pronounced arc in the middle of the circle and under it add a small circle (nose).
Finally, draw two wide “U” under the circle representing the nose.
Examples of how to draw a dog’s face from a circle or ovoid figure
Photo: Freepik
Don’t forget the eyes, two dots in the center is enough. You can also add dots in the muzzle area.
How to draw a dog’s face with a square
You can also draw a dog’s face from a square, follow the steps in the image.
Photo: Pinterest
How to draw a dog’s face step by step
This video will illustrate you another way to draw a dog’s face. We recommend you to draw with pencil and then go over the drawing with a marker.
Here are some other examples of how to draw a dog’s face
Remember that if you want to draw a dog closer to reality, you can also do it without so many details. Just identify the characteristics of its breed and exaggerate them a little.
For example: a schnauzer dog has a kind of “beard”, a cocker spaniel has bigger ears than a pug and a labradoodle has curly hair.
Photo: notonthehighstreet.com
how to draw a dog step by step?
Well, it’s time for practice. Grab a pencil, a sheet, an eraser and learn how to draw a dog in 9 steps.
Step 1
Draw a circle (the dog’s head).
Step 2
Under the circle, draw a rectangle (it doesn’t have to be perfect) with rounded corners.
Step 3
Join the circle and the rectangle, making two parallel strokes that emulate the dog’s hair.
Step 4
Draw the ears and muzzle.
Step 5
Add the front legs.
Step 6
Draw the back legs.
Step 7
Now delete the circle and rectangle lines that are no longer needed.
Step 8
Add the hair and ear detail.
Step 9
Finally, draw the eyes, nose, muzzle line, and color.
Images: easydrawingguides.com
how to draw a pug dog step by step?
The pug is a small and robust looking dog breed. It is characterized by being affectionate and friendly, especially with children. But there is something about the pug that quickly catches anyone’s attention: its eyes, or rather, its “melancholic” look.
If you want to learn how to draw a pug dog step by step, play this video.
Channel: Moon pen
how to draw a chihuahua dog step by step?
did you know that the Chihuahua is the smallest dog in the world? It is a breed of dog of Mexican origin. It is tiny, has big ears and “bulging” eyes. It is characterized for being playful, affectionate and with great character.
If you want to learn how to draw a Chihuahua dog step by step, play this video.
Canal: Drawing Lab
how to draw a boxer dog step by step?
The Boxer is a breed of dog originating from Germany. It is a direct descendant of the bulldog and the bullenbeisser. Generally, it is muscular, playful and energetic. It is perfect as a companion dog.
If you want to learn how to draw a boxer dog step by step, play this video.
Channel: MUY KAWAII
how to draw a kawaii dog?
Actually, drawing a kawaii dog is almost the same as drawing a conventional dog. The differences are basically in the eyes and the muzzle.
A kawaii dog has round and bright eyes (although simple lines are also used), pink cheeks and a muzzle that is more like a small smile. If you want to draw a cute and cuddly dog, a kawaii dog is the one.
and why “kawaii”? Kawaii is a Japanese term linked to “cute” and “cuddly”.
So how to draw a kawaii dog? Just follow the directions on how to draw a dog step by step and in the last step, draw some eyes, a nose and a kawaii style smile.
Image: dibujoskawaii.net
Watch how to draw a kawaii dog step by step
Channel: MUY KAWAII
how to draw a dachshund step by step?
If you are a fan of dachshunds, we will teach you how to draw these cute little dogs step by step and in passing, know the best painting techniques to give more style and personality to your art.
do you have a dachshund at home? To draw these dogs you must take into account the expression of their eyes, the elongated body and the short legs.
You just need to know the right proportion of each part to draw it easy and fast.
Step 1
Start by drawing the head of your dachshund. Always work with guide lines to make it easier to draw the different parts of your pet’s body.
Step 2: Step 2: Step 2: Step 2: Step 2: Step 2: Step 2: Step 2
Draw the ears. Use the guide lines to make them the same size and shape.
Step 3: Draw the ears.
Add the nose and eyes, can you see that your dachshund is coming out?
Step 4
Draw the body that connects to the neck.
Step 5
First draw the legs that are located in the foreground and then complete with the back legs.
Step 6
Add the tail. If you want you can draw the dog’s tail pointing up or down.
Step 7
Finally, you can add a field, a little house or whatever you want to your dachshund drawing. And also, paint it with wax crayons.
Images: artprojectsforkids.org
how to draw a cute and easy bulldog dog?
If you want to learn how to draw a cute and easy bulldog dog, you should keep in mind to draw a round head, droopy cheeks and a chubby but muscular body. Learn the 12 exercises to learn how to draw.
The combination of the characteristics mentioned above will turn your bulldog dog drawing into a cute and cuddly animal.
We will start by drawing the bulldog’s face symmetrically and then the muscular body.
how to draw a bulldog face?
it’s very simple to draw a bulldog face! Just make sure to follow these steps.
Use guide lines to draw a bulldog dog.
Draw a circle and two circular eyes.
Start on the left side of the cheek.
Then draw the cheek on the right side.
Erase the lines at the bottom.
Draw the muzzle, the dots around the cheek and the two lines in the middle of the eyes.
From the top draw the ears.
Continue with the lower part of the ears.
Now it’s the turn to draw the body of the dog.
Add the two front legs and then the back legs.
Finally, draw the details of the tail and the paws.
Image: artprojectsforkids.org
how to draw a realistic dog sketch easily and quickly?
To draw the sketch of a realistic dog easily and quickly, you only need to perform 4 steps and if you want to learn how to draw a human body you will only need to follow these steps.
Note that this drawing doesn’t have any details; but it does have the basic look of a realistic dog.
Lightly draw a circle and an oval with lines connecting the upper and lower part of the body.
Add the paws from the bottom of both circles.
Then draw the neck and an oval head.
The head should always be in proportion to the dog’s body.
You can add some details like the tail, ears, eyes, nose and mouth.
Image: crayola.com.au
how to draw an easy dog for kids?
If you want to teach the youngest in the house how to draw an easy dog for kids, here we tell you in simple steps to make it fun and easy.
When it comes to teaching a child how to draw dogs, you should always look for frontal and symmetrical pet drawings.
This step by step on how to draw a dog is easy doesn’t need many elements. You will draw a simple face and the body subtly sideways.
how to draw a dog step by step in pencil for kids?
Follow this step by step to draw a dog in pencil and then paint it with crayons or whatever you and your kid want.
Draw the dog’s collar and head.
Add the two ears on top of the head.
Complete the dog’s face and draw the collar tag.
Erase the inside of the ears.
Draw one front leg and then the other.
Draw the back leg (remember that the last two legs will be subtly visible).
Complete the last back leg and the tail.
You can draw some background or whatever you want around the dog.
Name your dog.
Image: artprojectsforkids.org
how to draw a pitbull dog step by step in pencil?
We quickly show you how to draw a pitbull dog step by step using a pencil, pens, markers or whatever you want.
Step 1
Start by drawing the head of the pitbull dog. Make an irregular oval with two curves at the top and a long curve on the left side.
Step 2
Draw the details of the pit bull dog’s face. Start with the ears, then draw two circles in the middle of the head to make the eyes.
Add an oval between the circles to make the nose and at the bottom draw a line connecting to the top of the lips.
Step 3
Next, draw the body starting with the right leg and the chest. Complete the rest of the body and add the tail. would you like to learn how to paint your bulldog with watercolors?
Images: wedrawanimals.com
how to draw a cat?
Cat is another one of the most popular and easy pets to draw. In fact, there are many famous cats like Hello Kitty, Tom (from Tom and Jerry), Sylvester, Felix the cat, Don gato, etc.
Now take a pencil, an eraser and a sheet of paper and learn how to draw an easy cat. In this case, we will use guide lines in the shape of a cross.
Image: Pinterest
Techniques for drawing animal hair
Perhaps one of the most challenging parts of drawing animals in pencil is drawing their fur. For example, if you want to draw a realistic dog, you need to make sure you draw the direction of its fur correctly.
Also, drawing a dog’s fur is not the same as drawing a koala’s fur. Hair gives volume and texture to animals. To achieve this effect, it is necessary to have certain materials and apply some drawing techniques that we detail below.
The drawing of a dog will never be ready without a well done fur. To do this, use an HB graphite pencil with a sharpened tip.
If you are just starting to draw, it is better to do some exercises to “loosen your hand”.
Take a sheet of paper and make strokes in the form of high and low peaks in sections. The lines should not be aligned.
Make the same stroke as above, but now in different directions. Remember that the fur of animals is diverse.
Now make small regular strokes separated from each other and in a horizontal direction.
Make high and low beak strokes, but smaller than the previous ones.
Draw lines from right to left vertically. Make sure they have open and closed ends.
Once you have practiced these exercises, you will be ready to add fur to the drawing of a dog or any other animal.
Tips to draw animals easy
Synthesize without losing the essence of the figure.
Use basic shapes. To draw the head, trunk and rear of the animal, draw circles.
If you are going to use a reference image, look for one where the animal is standing, full-bodied and in a still pose (no movement).
Don’t add too much detail. Remember that this is not a hyperrealistic drawing. We are not looking to make a work of art.
Don’t erase the drawings that didn’t turn out well. Save them so that later you can see the process of your progress.
Make more than one drawing. If the drawing of your dog didn’t come out right on the first try, draw another one.
Use the entire blank sheet of paper.
Make your own version. For example, if you want to learn how to draw a cat, draw your own interpretation of a cat. There is not just one type of cat.
In fact, learning how to draw a dog or other animal is a lot like practicing a sport, it requires a lot of patience and perseverance. how about starting with these daily drawing exercises?
Drawing and illustration trends 2021
After an atypical year for everyone, the change could also be noticed in illustration, drawing and design, where creativity has somehow been challenged and has achieved incredible new results.
As fans of illustration and drawing, below, we will share with you the main trends for this year (make your dog drawing more chic).
Outline illustration
This is one of the trends in which this particular style of drawing predominates, where the outline becomes an important element of the composition.
remember we previously explained how one of the masters of animation drew Disney’s most iconic characters? This trend resembles the way classic cartoons were illustrated in those times.
Here are some examples of doggies with this trend. You could start drawing a Dalmatian dog (surely the movie 101 Dalmatians came to your mind) What a nostalgia!
Source: Freepik
And if the above wasn’t enough, how about applying the cartoon style? In fact, drawing a dog with this technique will be very easy for you
3D Illustrations
Just like 2020, 2021 will be the year of 3D illustrations and design. We will see this resource applied to objects, photographic images and product design. and why not also in the drawing of a dog?
With this trend you will be able to add depth, textures, colors and realistic shapes, giving each design an original touch.
Source: Youtube
Illustrations with striking shapes and colors
This trend has been strong for several years: at first glance it may look like a doodle, but the beauty is in its unfinished touches and rustic strokes. Here, bold colors are overlaid with full shapes, creating generally vibrant and fresh designs.
Source: Pinterest
Now that you know that drawing an easy dog is possible, why don’t you keep drawing more four-legged friends? Here’s an idea: get a sketchbook and challenge yourself to draw one dog (or other animal) per day.
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