Drawing man's best friend

Dogs are unique animals. All they seem to want from us is love, affection, food and shelter. Unlike domestic cats which are generally the same size, dogs come in all shapes and sizes. , Some have deep foreheads while others are streamlined, stubby, long or whatever.

When drawing dogs ,start with the heads. Look at the drawing on Figure 1. Notice how well defined the foreheads are and also the long projecting nose and mouth. Notice the outlines done in pencil on the left side of Figure 1. On the right side the black markings, which are quite black on these animals, were put in with brush and black drawing ink. I have left a white round part of the ears so their shapes can be seen. Copy the outline construction lines shown on the left of Figure 1, then the little details added with black ink becomes easy.

The front view of heads shown on Figure 2 are drawn by a sharp pointed pencil and with black ink. It is slightly difficult to draw, but not beyond your talent. See how the eyes are drawn between the dotted lines. If you use pencil for the basic sketch, this will help you to produce quickly an accurate illustration. Use dot stipple and tiny thin lines to depict fur. Always bear in mind when drawing any animal that if you draw the main shape, accurately, the rest is relatively easy. It is easy to study a pet at home and start practising with line sketches. The hardest problem in drawing a dog is getting the head right. This applies to the sketching of most animals.

You need to observe the animal closely before starting to draw dogs. All dogs do not share the same type of skull. Some have deep foreheads while others are streamlined and stubby. Try to sketch different breeds of dogs. Work from life or photographs, use pencil or pen.