Dogs are never less than an interesting subject for artists.
Dogs are one of the animals many artists will gravitate toward. Not only are dogs beloved by humans, but the variety of dog breeds gives an artist plenty of scope as to what kind of dog to sketch, draw or paint. A sketch shouldn't take up much time and it is often useful to make several sketches when planning a drawing or painting. A sketch can also be a standalone piece of art by itself.
Instructions
1. Begin by sketching the ears of the dog and then the shape of the head. When sketching, don't press down hard with the point of the pencil, but use its sides.
2. Add the shape of the eyes, nose and mouth roughly. Then go back to the three features, beginning with the eyes, and sketch in more detail. Add more detail to the face, such as whiskers. On each feature of the animal, use the pencil with a back and forth motion for horizontal lines. For vertical lines, use the pencil with an up and down motion.
3. Sketch the dog's body, beginning from the neck and throat. Spread out to the animal's shoulder. From there, work along the dog's body, with the tail being added last of all.
4. Portray the dog's hind legs. Begin from the dog's rump and work downward, sketching the nearest hind leg in view first. Take note of how much thicker the top part of the dog's hind legs are compared to the bottom half. Sketch the very noticeable bend in the lower hind legs. The furthest hind leg from view should be partly concealed. Sketch from the top of the nearest hind leg and connect it to the dog's body. Next, sketch the curve of the dog's belly up to its forelegs, which should be portrayed as very straight.
5. Shade in the dog's head, body, tail and legs. Portray the variation in shading by pressing on the pencil more heavily for thicker shades and more lightly for lighter shades.
