How to Draw a Dog Face
Let’s face it. Most of the fun in drawing a pup is sketching the expressions on their face. When you look at dog photos on the internet, you’ll notice that many of the most popular Instagram accounts focus on the silly expressions they make or interesting colorations. It’s worth learning how to draw their face as there are special considerations you must take.
Photo & art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
The initial steps to drawing a dog face are the same as sketching their body. You’ll want to begin with observation—such as how far apart their eyes are and how long their snout is. Then, record them as simple shapes and whittle them down so you define their facial features, from the eyes to the nostrils in their nose.
Photo & art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
Photo & art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
Once you get to the shading stage, however, you’ll want to take notice of their fur patterns. When we look up close at a dog, it’s their hair that helps makes them recognizable. It also gives them dimensionality.
Photo & art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
Photo & art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
As you are starting to shade, work in layers. You’ve probably identified areas of deep shadow where you can’t see the individual strands of fur. Block those out by using the back-and-forth technique and pressing hard on your paper. But for lighter areas where you can see a lot of fur, start with a light hand—imagine that it’s the skin of the dog. From there, sharpen your pencil (or use a mechanical pencil with a thin point) and start to make individual hatches over these lighter areas. Be sure that the angle of your marks is the same as your subject. Fur points in different directions on the face, so be sure to observe when it changes.
For some parts of the face, you won’t need to imply too much hair. But medium-dark areas, think about layering your marks to depict some shadow. It will imply form while making your dog look the way you intended.
Photo & art: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met
A final tip for drawing a dog…
Drawing a dog in a realistic way is challenging! It takes a lot of practice and observation to translate what you’re seeing with what is rendered on paper. So, as you draw, don’t be too hard on yourself. Erase your mistakes and use them as a learning experience for the next time you sketch.
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