How to Draw Dogs - A Step by Step Drawing Lesson

This learning how to draw dogs lesson is a bit more involved than some of the others on the site, but don't let that scare you off. You're tough remember? You can handle this and get through it – no sweat!

Step 1 - The Body Bean

Start off with a bean shape that has been stretched out vertically. Look at the shape of this bean carefully – it will make up most of the dog's body from his head right down to his butt. That's it for step one, but the baby steps are over and now it's time to get busy!

Step 2 - Defining Shapes

We're going to work from the top down to the bottom so start off by adding the two ears to the top of the head. It doesn't matter if you are learning how to draw dogs or any other character, often approaching things from top to bottom will help you get the results you want. Make sure that they are nice and big to give the dog some obvious character. Next add in a slightly rounded rectangle to make the basic shape of the nose.

The next thing to add is two curves around the neck to make the furry shoulder and neck area of the dog. Try your best to follow the example in step 2, but remember that you can also look at the finished drawing at the top of the page to get a better idea what this part will become once you are finished all the steps.

Lastly, add a line in for the tail. This first line will form the bottom of the tail. When learning how to draw dogs, or any other animal for that matter, it's important to know how to break certain parts up into multiple steps just like what you are doing with the tail.

Step 3 - Adding Details

Work from the top towards the bottom again by adding first two little circles for the eyes, and two little tufts of hair that look like spikes off the side of the head. Add a rounded part to the end of the rectangle that you drew in the last step to make the nose and mouth area.

Next notice that one of the curves we drew last step has been changed. The part on the shoulder and neck area was smooth when we drew it, but now it has changed to be spikier to make it look like hair.

Next, on the left side of the drawing add a line with a little bump on it to start the shape of one of the front legs. Add a curve inside of the body to start the back leg, and add a little bump on the bottom of the bean shape that we made for the body. This little bump will make the back foot.

Finish off this step by adding in the second line to complete the tail.

Step 4 - Things are Shaping Up

Start off by adding in the lines to make the smile and lower lip of the dog. Next add in some additional furry details along the neck. Add in some more lines to help define the legs at the front of the dog's body. Lastly, add in a zigzag line on the side of the body just above the back leg and also to the tail.

Step 5 - Finishing off the Cartoon Dog

In this last step of learning how to draw dogs you will once again work from the top down to the bottom so it's easier to follow along with these instructions. Add in a little line along the inside of the ears. Next draw a piece of hair on the top of the head and draw two easy curves for eyebrows. Finish off the head by adding a rounded triangle for the nose.

Now you will tackle the feet. They may look a bit strange by basically they are just little bumps on the end of rectangles with straight lines to indicate the 3 toes.