
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. |