20 Easy Dog Drawing Ideas & Step-by-Step References

Twenty dog drawing references, from simple step-by-step studies to dachshunds, puppies, pencil sketches and more realistic dogs. If a drawing feels stiff, ignore the fur at first and look only at the head, rib cage, pelvis and spine. Click or tap any image to open the full-size reference.

Jump to: easy studies · cartoon & dachshund · kawaii & pencil · puppy & realistic

Easy dog drawing studies — References 1–3

If you are new to drawing dogs, stay with these first three. They make the body construction easier to see before breed proportions and fur start complicating the picture.

Cartoon dogs and dachshund proportions — References 4–9

The same construction method should not produce the same body every time. In the dachshund references, the torso is much longer than the leg length suggests; in the puppy references, the head takes up more of the figure. Compare those relationships directly instead of relying on a fixed formula. If the big proportions are wrong, better eyes and fur will not rescue the drawing.

Place the legs from the shoulder and hip masses, not from the bottom edge of the body. In a three-quarter pose, the far legs should not mirror the near legs exactly. Look for overlaps and stagger the paws instead of lining all four up on the same baseline.

Kawaii and pencil dog studies — References 10–12

At this stage, ignore texture and look at the dog as a flat shape. Can you still read the head angle, chest, belly, legs and tail? If not, fix the contour first. Fur should break an already-clear silhouette in a few useful places—around the ears, chest or tail—not hide a weak construction under dozens of short strokes.

Detailed dog studies — References 13–18

A common mistake is to draw two attractive eyes first and then squeeze the muzzle underneath them. Reverse that order. Establish the direction and length of the muzzle, place the nose at its front, and then position the eyes around that structure. On a turned head, the far eye will usually appear narrower and closer to the bridge of the nose. Ear shape and placement can do as much as the face to suggest a puppy, dachshund or generic cartoon dog.

For cleaner sketches, compare the spacing between the eyes, nose and ear bases before darkening any line. Small spacing changes can alter the expression more than extra shading.

Finish selectively — References 19–20

Do not darken every line equally. Put the strongest accents around the eyes, nose, mouth corners and places where one form overlaps another. Keep some edges light or broken. For fur, change the stroke direction with the form of the body; a few well-placed tufts are more convincing than filling the whole dog with identical marks.

Three mistakes worth checking before you finish

• Paws in one straight row: stagger them according to the pose and perspective.
• Eyes placed before the muzzle: build the head direction first so the face does not flatten.
• Too much fur texture: if the dog only reads correctly after you add fur, go back and fix the silhouette.

If you want another animal after this, try the cat drawing tutorials. For a more structural study, use the realistic elephant guide. If you just want something quick to sketch, browse easy things to draw.