In this class, we’ll show the art of drawing a real-looking dog. This guide is a more advanced version of our earlier guide to drawing an animal.
The major difference between this and the previous one is that in this one we’ll increase the volume of our drawing by using shadows in the final step. Additionally, this illustration will become more precise and the outline of parts of the body will appear more real.
This real-life dog drawing tutorial isn’t that difficult once you have to go through our posts on shading as well as the hatching. In these articles, we discuss in depth the structure of lights and shadows, as well as how to create volumes by hatching.
So let’s dive into the steps of drawing an authentic dog.
Step 1
Let’s begin to create an animal from its skeleton. Make simple, nearly invisible lines to show the chest, head, and pelvis. Utilize the same lines to draw the spine, tail, and legs. Be aware that this guide to drawing realistic dogs starts in the same manner as our simple instructions.
Step 2
Then, using just a few lines of light to draw the lines of the muzzle as well as hanging ears. Always, we remind you that we’re showing the most popular and most canonical illustration. You can alter the design by changing the details of the artwork.
Step 3
Create the outline for the front and back limbs by drawing loose and rough lines. Later on, we’ll provide them with a more precise and complete appearance. In the meantime, we must place forward legs the best way and also give the proper volume.
Step 4
Then, use a few smooth lines to make the edges at the top and bottom that define the body. The torso should be slightly tapered around the abdomen. Then, using light lines, draw on the back of your body. If you’d like to confirm the accuracy in proportion to your work takes a look in the mirror.
Step 5
Let’s now move to the hind legs of a realistic dog. Create them using gentle lines in an exact manner as the way it was done earlier with your front leg. The hind legs must appear to be more substantial at the top and then taper effortlessly toward the middle.
Step 6
The time has come to go to the finer details and make the realistic drawing of a dog real convincing. Begin with the eyes and begin sketching them out in two geometric shapes that resemble almonds. Your eyes must be just higher than the middle on the forehead ball. Draw a nose that is just beneath the eye. In one of our earlier guides, we explained the steps to draw a dog’s face in great detail.
Step 7
Draw the mouth above the nasal area. Start by drawing the upper jaw first, and then draw the lower jaw. By making wrinkles on the mouth as we did in our example it will make your sketch more convincing and realistic. If you’d like to learn more about drawing a dog’s face take a look at our article on drawing an animal’s face.
Step 8
It’s now the moment to draw some depth on the legs in front. Utilizing darker lines, sketch the outline of your front legs. When drawing the particulars on the legs’ fronts be aware of the outline of the bones and muscles beneath the skin. Draw short claws and toes. To make the dog appear more real, you can add folds to the neck, like in our illustration.
Step 9
Do the same thing with the hind legs. That is, draw these with sharper and darker lines. Draw the claws and toes. For a reminder to yourself, you can add more character to your dog’s drawing by having the close lines darker than more distant ones. We covered this in our post on the aerial view.
Step 10
Give your final details. For instance, we have made the tail more detailed while the ears were darker. Additionally, you can make even more folds or draw interesting patterns on your body.
Step 11
Remove all guidelines that are not necessary to your drawing. Make sure that the lines you need to draw are some extra oomph. Take a look at your drawing and compare it to our example, examine your drawing in the mirror. walk away from it to see if there are any mistakes. If they’re there and you’re not happy, it’s time to make them right.
Step 13
Now is the time to turn your work into something real-time and convincing. For this, you must apply hatching and draw shadows like in our illustration. Begin with the darkest parts then move to lighter areas. Darken the eyes and leave tiny highlights.
To make your dog’s realistic drawing appear larger, make sure to draw a background. This will usually help to create an even more realistic 3D effect. It is also possible to make the shadows appear more intense. You can also add more layers of hatching, making shadows darker, and contrasts more obvious.
This sketch isn’t detailed or bright enough to make it difficult to confuse with the black and white image of an actual dog. We have provided the most essential information for drawing these gorgeous pets.
With the addition of highlights and shadows by adding highlights and shadows, you can provide your dog with the amount of volume you’d like. It’s all about the persistence of your dog and how well you’re familiar with the concept of shadow and light and also how often you draw.
Do not forget that the primary thing that artists should be doing is practicing. The more you draw the more detailed your work will become. If you draw at least for a half hour each day, you could reach impressive heights when drawing.