How to Draw Brian Griffin

For this lesson on how to draw Brian Griffin, we chose a fairly interesting and unconventional method that will also be useful and informative.

Brian Griffin is one of the most interesting and memorable characters from the animated series Family Guy, as well as one of the few anthropomorphic animals in the show.

His deliberate anthropomorphism is intentionally emphasized, creating an additional comedic effect, since there are almost no other anthropomorphic animals around him.

At the same time, the method of drawing Brian Griffin is in many ways similar to the approaches used for drawing characters in cartoons such as Disney and similar styles.

How to draw Brian Griffin step by step

Step 1: Sketch the dog’s torso shape

Begin by forming the basic circles that will later help construct Brian Griffin’s figure. First, sketch the outline of the torso as a circle or oval. This is somewhat unconventional, since we usually begin by drawing the head.

Step 2: Add the head and limb guidelines

Directly above the outline of the torso, sketch the head as a vertically elongated oval. On the left and right sides of the upper part of the torso, indicate the position of the arms using simple lines. Below the torso circle, sketch the legs with the same simple lines.

Step 3: Draw Brian Griffin’s ears and muzzle

On the front part of the head oval, sketch the elongated muzzle, similar to the one we illustrated in the cartoon dog drawing lesson. On the upper sides, indicate the hanging ears of the anthropomorphic dog.

Step 4: Draw the eyes of Brian Griffin

First, draw two circles in the upper part of the head directly above Brian Griffin’s muzzle. Then divide these circles with slightly curved lines to represent the upper eyelids. Directly beneath these eyelids, draw the pupils as two solid dots.

Step 5: Add volume to the dog’s body

Now begin gradually adding volume to the dog’s figure, building it around the lines from the previous steps. Start with the upper parts by drawing the arms and hands. Then, in the lower part, form the legs and feet.

Step 6: Draw Brian Griffin’s mouth and nose

Directly beneath the muzzle, draw Brian Griffin’s mouth. Then draw and fill in the nose with black or dark gray color. Erase the construction lines from the head and outline it with darker contours.

Step 7: Refine the dog’s arms and hands

Now move on to the body and, using the same clear and smooth lines, refine the upper limbs and draw a wine glass in the right hand. Carefully draw the hands and fingers, keeping in mind that characters in Family Guy have four fingers on each hand. Around the neck, draw a collar of the Brian Griffin with a tag.

Step 8: Finalize Brian Griffin’s body

Finish the cartoon dog’s body by erasing all remaining construction lines. Refine the legs, giving them a finished cartoon appearance. Carefully draw the feet of Brian Griffin, adding three toes to each. Be sure to check the symmetry, proportions, and resemblance of the character to the original cartoon design.

Step 9: Apply simple cartoon shading

On the right side, first indicate the outlines of the shadows with very light lines. Then fill them in with a denser layer. You can either use classical hatching or blend the shading, while trying not to make the shadow areas look dirty.

As you may have noticed, the method used to draw Brian Griffin from this well-known animated series is quite interesting and differs in many ways from what you may have seen in our other lessons.

If you want to try a more standard, classical method of drawing cartoon characters, visit our Mickey Mouse drawing lesson, where we explain in detail how Disney artists create their legendary characters.

You can also check out our Peter Griffin drawing lesson, where we create a character from the same show using a completely different approach, drawing each detail separately from top to bottom.

We used the same method in our lesson on how to draw Homer Simpson, another well-known father figure from animated sitcoms. Interestingly, you can apply any of these methods when drawing different characters, adapting the style where needed.

It all depends on your stylistic choices and the specific purpose for which you are drawing the character.