How to Draw a Sitting Dog

Using the steps in this lesson, you will learn how to draw a sitting dog, give it a realistic pose, and make it appear three-dimensional.

In this sitting dog drawing lesson, we decided to apply a new and interesting technique, different from the one presented in our previous dog drawing lesson.

This approach is somewhat similar to the work of a sculptor who gradually creates a figure from a single piece of marble by slowly removing the excess material. You could see a similar drawing style in our tutorial on how to draw a portrait.

Among other things, this method of drawing is very useful when you want to learn how to create three-dimensional and proportional drawings, because you do not focus on a single detail, and your drawing appears more solid and symmetrical.

How to draw a sitting dog featured image

Step 1

Draw the silhouette of the sitting dog using very light and simple lines. Do not try to detail the drawing, because at this stage you need to correctly determine the width and height and position the dog harmoniously on the paper. Here you should use very general shapes to establish the composition of the future drawing.

Step 2

Now sketch out the ears and legs. When drawing a dog, constantly compare the parts with each other. Try to work on all parts of the drawing at once using simple lines. For example, after drawing a line on the right paw, immediately draw a line on the left.

Step 3

Now go to the head and sketch out the eyes, nose, and mouth of the dog. Don’t try to draw these details in as much detail as possible. Here you need to find their correct size and position them as correctly as possible on the head. You should constantly compare the details of the dog’s face with each other in order to avoid mistakes in symmetry.

Step 4

Step 5

Now with smooth and light lines draw the lower eyelids of the dog and the pupils inside the eyes. After that sketch out the lower jaw, teeth, and tongue. When working on details, try to constantly move away from the drawing so that you can see it in its entirety. This will help you keep the dog’s proportions right and make the face details just the size you need.

Step 6

Now using smooth and clean lines draw the outlines of the ears and neck of the dog. To give the dog a more realistic look, sketch the fur on the neck using long, flowing lines. When drawing a dog, it is very important to keep in mind that you are drawing a three-dimensional object. You need to transfer the volume and weight of the dog on paper. In our articles on aerial and linear perspective, we’ve covered some of the ways you can do this.

Step 7

Now go to the front legs and using smooth lines draw the toes and sharp claws on them. Add the necessary hair lines at the junction of the limbs with the torso. This will make your drawing of a sitting dog look more natural and realistic. Don’t forget to draw a chest line between the front legs.

Step 8

Now go to the hind legs and do the same as with the front legs, that is, carefully draw the toes and claws on them. Use smooth lines to give the dog’s hind legs a more natural look, as shown in our example. In order to see mistakes in your sitting dog drawing, you can turn it over or look at it in the mirror.

Step 9

Erase all construction lines from your drawing of the sitting dog. Using long lines, draw the fur texture to make your sitting dog drawing more realistic and voluminous. In addition, you can draw details such as a pattern on the fur or a collar with a name on it.

Step 10

To make your sitting dog drawing look really three-dimensional, you need to draw shadows. Using hatching, begin to smoothly draw shadows, gradually moving from the darkest areas to the lightest. In our article on light and shadow, we talked in great detail about what shadows are and how to use them to create volume in the drawing.

Step 11

Make the shadows slightly more contrasting and defined to enhance the sense of volume in your drawing of the sitting dog. Add highlights to the eyes by leaving small unshaded areas, and place subtle strokes within the eyes if needed. Also add additional shadows in areas where they will help strengthen the form.

This was a sitting dog drawing guide and we hope you found it useful. If so, be sure to share this drawing lesson, write us your opinion in the comments and subscribe to us on social networks.

Also, do not forget that the team of Drawingforall.net has created a huge number of drawing lessons about animals, and you can find all of them in the corresponding category on our website.