How to Draw a Dog

How to Draw a Dog:

In order to learn how to draw the dog you need to know a bit about its proportions and anatomy. The dog, whether big or small, all have the same physical characteristics. Being in the classification of the canine species. This group, whether wolf or dog all follow the same way they move and also their build.

As you can see by this drawing below, the dog and wolf are of similar shape. Of course thought the years man has changed the dog species in all shapes and sizes through careful breeding.

"As practice makes perfect, I cannot but make progress; each drawing one makes, each study one paints, is a step forward." Vincent van Gogh 1853 - 1890

But they all essentially remain the same. Their skeleton is no different in all breeds, maybe a big shorter or larger here and there, in the way the dog is allowed to move, no different.

Sure, we will have variations from size to shape. Yet you need to study how the dog skeletal features allow it to move.

As I have expressed to you before, (and probably will again, and again) you need to study your subject. When I sculpt, I have done many of the same animal again and again. Yet when it came to being asked to do a different animal. It was like re-studying all over again. I had been used to sculpting land animals, and when I was asked to sculpt a whale. WELL! you could imagine, it was a little daunting. Nothing like I have done before.

So when tackling a different species. In how to draw a dog, you might feel as though you are going partially back to the drawing board.

Here in how to draw a dog, you can see a view of the dogs head from the side and from the top of the head.

Now this is a greyhound, knowing that there are dogs from all walks of life. I want you to get the idea of where the ears are positioned. Farther to the back of the head. Whether the snout of the dog be short or long. Its eyes are set to the front of the cranium.

Being a hunter, the dog has its eyes at the front of its head. The nose is small and well positioned at the front of the snout.

Here we have drawings of the dog in action. See how the dog moves, how its back arches as it gathers its paws under its body. The faster the dog goes the longer the body gets. In how to draw a dog, all movements are relatively the same. Repeated over and over again, to the dogs relative speed.

As dogs have been bread for different jobs over the years. So have their proportions changed to their abilities. The running dog, is slender and well muscled in the back legs. Through to the heavier dogs where the barrel of its body is thicker, its head larger.

Drawing a dog, brings forth such variations. And need to be studied. Probably one of the most varied of species, the dog gives the artist a challenge to reinvent each and every breed. So be careful when deciding to draw different dog breeds. Study each and always follow their main features of the species.

Knowing that the wolf, has not changed in stature, gives you the stability to draw and paint, even sculpt them with confidence, and you don't have to do extra homework.

Dogs give us variation, so go with it, might be a bit more work, but hey! its worth it..........