How To Draw A Dog’s Face
Are you ready to learn how to draw a beautiful, realistic dog’s face? Drawing a fit and accurate dog portrait requires patience and practice, but this guide can help with the basics of outlining and designing a pup’s portrait.
The trick to drawing a realistic dog face begins with capturing the pup’s unique personality. Follow along for tips on setting the expression and learning how to construct the doggy anatomy. Working step-by-step through the process will make this task a lot less daunting. So let’s get started!
First things first. Before you pick up your pencil and start sketching, make sure you have the right tools. A good-quality artist-grade drawing pad, rulers, and your favorite pencils or pens will make the job significantly easier.
Once you have your tools, decide which breed of dog you’d like to draw. Use photos or videos of a dog for reference if needed. When you have a reference image or video, break the image down into basic shapes to guide you in the drawing. Depending on the breed, the varieties in shape, size and features are nearly endless.
Now that you have the shapes and features down, it’s time to start laying your drawing out. Start by lightly sketching out a basic layout of the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. If you reference an image while doing this, use a ruler to be sure your proportions match the reference.
Once the basic features are in place, you can add more details. Use soft, curved lines to add eyelids, and shading to give the pup’s eyes definition and depth. Be sure to shape the nose and mouth to match the breed’s unique character. When it comes to the ears, take time to get the angles of the curves just right. They should resemble the reference image, but also show off your canine’s personality.
The next step is to fill in the fur. An easy way to create a realistic look is to use the hatching technique—draw layers of lines that run the same direction and avoid crossing them. This gives the illusion of fur without the tedious task of tons of individual lines. Combine this with some shading to bring out the pup’s fullness and fluff.
The eyes and facial expressions of your pup are what will make your drawing come to life. Give your pup big, soulful eyes, and draw the pupils to capture the pup’s attention. Then add a nose and tongue, and lightly draw soft curves to make your pup’s cheeks look extra cuddly.
The last but not least of your dog portrait will be adding the whiskers. Whether the pup has short or long whiskers, draw a few at each corner of the mouth, evenly spaced apart. A few around the forehead and chin will add depth and realism.
Line Form and Color
Once all of your dog’s facial features are added, it’s time to perfect the fur and add lines and color. Outline the entire face in one single line using a pen or marker. Keep the line consistent and clean for a realistic look.
Don’t forget to consider the structure of fur when coloring your pup’s face. Consider your pup’s breed and look at reference images for guidance. If your pup has a long, full coat with plenty of highlights, use a darker color to build a foundation, and then add lighter colors with hatching and crosshatching.
Backgrounds
After filling in and polishing up your pup’s face, it’s time to add a background. Choose a sharp, textured paper or a canvas and use a light ochre or beige tone to create a neutral, warm setting for your pup.
If you want to create a more defined setting, use gridlines and a pen or marker to design and draw a landscape, objects, and scenery around your pup. When all of your gridlines are drawn, fill them in with super soft hatching or simple washes of color to fill in some of the details.
Finishing Touches
For the final touch, add some highlights and alluring details. Sketch in a few soft highlights using a light grey pencil around the eyes and nose for natural effects. You can also smudge some shadows for a playful, ruffled look to the fur, or add a few sparkles around the eye area to make your pup look extra magical.
Now that you know the basics of how to draw a realistic dog face, you are well on your way to becoming an expert pup portrait artist! Just make sure to practice, take your time and use reference images whenever possible. With no limits on imagination, you can create the pup portrait of your wildest dreams. So grab your pencils and start drawing!
