Do you have a passion for drawing a dog’s body? It’s a great way to show your love for your four-legged friends and to express yourself creatively. Drawing is an incredibly rewarding and therapeutic activity, so with a little practice, you can be drawing beautiful dogs in no time! Here is a step-by-step guide to getting your pup onto paper.
Gather Your Supplies: It’s always helpful to have all the pencils, pens, and paper you will need for your drawing ready at your disposal. For a really lifelike draw, some professional grade paints are a great option. Additionally, it’s helpful to have a reference photo of exactly what kind of dog you will be drawing, as well as some basic knowledge of the dog’s anatomy.
Draw the Base Line: Before beginning on a fairly realistic drawing, it is important to make sure that your foundation is good. Start with a line that will resemble the rough outline of the dog’s body. Loosely sketch out the head and the main parts of the body, such as the chest and hindquarters.
Add Detail: After sketching the base line, start adding detail around the body. You can draw small circles for the paws and tiny triangles for the ears. Don’t forget to draw the tail so that you have the complete dog shape. As you are working on the details, use your reference photo to help you keep the proportions accurate.
Create the Fur: Furry dogs are fun to draw because of all of the different types of fur. In order to create a realistic looking drawing, use different drawing techniques to indicate the fur’s length and texture. Start with short, short lines to draw the short fur on the muzzle. For the longer fur, draw thicker and longer lines to give your drawing dimension.
Highlight the Fur: Finishing the drawing is all about adding highlights and shadows. Using a pencil or a paint brush, draw circles of different sizes to add shadows around the body. Don’t forget to add some bright whites for highlights. This will highlight the paws and ears and make the drawing look more three dimensional.
Bring the Drawing to Life: You’re almost finished! To really bring the drawing to life, add a splash of color. Start by painting in the eyes and nose, and then work your way out to the body. If you are using pencils, you can use different shades and tones of gray to give the drawing a realistic look. Finishing touches, such as adding a bright red collar, will really bring your drawing to life.
Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you draw and practice, the better your drawings will be! With each drawing you do of a dog body, concentrate on the details and observe some of the subtle details. Pay attention to the shape of the body and how the fur behaves, and take notice of the different tones and shades in the fur.
Look for Inspiration: Drawing can be an incredibly rewarding and therapeutic activity. But, if you feel like you need some extra inspiration, don’t be afraid to look around for ideas! You can look at photos of different breeds, look for online tutorials, or even head to an animal shelter to see the real thing.
