Dog Sketches

The following dog sketches are simple but look more sophisticated than they really are. You can learn to do this by using properly placed shading. Learn how to draw a dog beginning with a simple breakdown you can copy easily. From there we will ad a little shading showing the markings of the animals and giving us contrast between shade and light.

Use whatever pencil and paper you are comfortable with but I would recommend cartridge paper and a 2B pencil when sketching in this style.

Copy this:

1. Start by breaking the animals down into manageable shapes. The head is a slightly elongated dome.

2. The neck and body.

3. Ears.

4. Divide the face as shown. This gives us the eye line and the snout is a tube shape.

5. Repeat this process for the second dog.

6. Draw in the features using our guidelines. We are sketching loosely. Hold your pencil firmly but lightly. Slightly shaking lines give the impression of fur.

7. Now sketch in the other dog.

8. Add more detail to the face concentrating on the darker areas to begin with.

9. Now we have enough tone to add details. Carefully add tone and draw in the nose and eyes. Note I sketch in the animal's collar.

Close-up

10. Move down the body adding the markings with overlapping lines.

11. Continue to add tone and detail.

12. Follow the same technique for the second dog.

This can be the foundation of more elaborate drawings or paintings. The key is practice and more practice.

Upload your sketches here

For yet more sketches of animals Return from Dog Sketches to Drawing Animals

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