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: Sketch the silhouette of the animal

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: Sketch the basic body structure

When drawing a dog using this technique, constantly compare the parts with each other. Try to work on all areas of the drawing at the same time using simple lines. For example, after drawing a line on the right paw, immediately draw a corresponding line on the left.

Step 3: Sketch the facial features of the sitting dog

Now move to the head and mark the eyes, sketch the dog’s nose, and add the mouth. Do not try to draw these details in full detail yet. At this stage, you only need to determine their correct size and place them properly on the head. Constantly compare the features of the dog’s face with each other to avoid mistakes in symmetry.

Step 4: Draw the eyes and nose in detail

Now, using more symmetrical and cleaner lines, begin drawing the dog’s head in greater detail. Outline the eyes and draw the pupils inside them, then add the nose slightly below. Work on both halves of the face alternately, avoiding focusing on one area for too long.

Step 5: Detail the jaw teeth and tongue

Now sketch the dog’s lower jaw, teeth, and tongue. When working on details, try to step back from the drawing from time to time so you can see it as a whole. This will help you maintain correct proportions and ensure the facial features are the right size.

Step 6: Draw the ears and neck of the sitting dog

Now, using smooth and clean lines, trace the outlines of the dog’s ears and neck. To give the sitting dog a more realistic look, sketch the fur on the neck with long, flowing lines. When drawing a dog, it is very important to remember that you are depicting a three-dimensional object. You need to convey the dog’s volume and weight on paper. In our articles on aerial perspective and linear perspective, we explain several ways to achieve this.

Step 7: Detail the front legs and paws

Now move to the front legs and, using smooth lines, draw the dog paws and sharp claws. Add a few fur lines where the limbs connect to the torso. This will make your drawing of a sitting dog look more natural and realistic. Do not forget to draw the chest line between the front legs.

Step 8: Draw the hind legs of the sitting dog

Now move to the hind legs and do the same as with the front legs, carefully drawing the toes and claws. Use smooth lines to give the dog’s hind legs a more natural appearance, as shown in our example. To spot possible mistakes in your sitting dog drawing, you can turn the paper upside down or look at it in a mirror.

Step 9: Clean up and refine the body and fur

Erase all construction lines from your sitting dog drawing. Using long strokes, add fur texture to make the drawing look more realistic and three-dimensional. You can also add details such as a pattern on the fur or a collar with a name tag.

Step 10: Start adding shadows to the animal

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: Strengthen the shading and contrast

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.

As we mentioned in our lesson on drawing a sitting cat, any animal has many different variations of body movement.

For an artist, this is further multiplied by the many possible viewing angles and different lighting conditions. All of this creates a large number of ways to depict a particular animal, object, or character.

Previously, we showed you how to draw a dog, but that alone is not enough to demonstrate the full variety of ways this animal can be represented on paper.

That is why we decided to focus separately on some of the most common poses, such as the sitting pose shown in this lesson.

A dog is certainly not as flexible as a cat, but even in a sitting position it can have many variations that can be depicted in different ways.

For example, you can draw a sitting dog with its head turned in different directions, or draw it lifting one paw as if responding to the command “give paw.”

You can also draw sitting dogs of different breeds and ages. All of these variations provide a great opportunity to practice your artistic skills-for example, by drawing a puppy in a sitting pose or depicting a bulldog.

For additional practice, you can draw a dog lying down, further developing your understanding of the different body positions of this animal.

In addition, this practice will significantly strengthen your overall ability to draw animals.