How to draw a “dog side view”

Dog Side view is a great place to start if you’re just starting to draw dogs. This view is easy to draw and shows most of the dog’s features.

Step 1 – Create a sketch of the dog side view

Drawing a dog is like drawing anything else. You should first get its overall proportions. Make a rough sketch of the overall shape of your dog side view. Include only the main parts, such as the head (ears inclusive), body and legs. For the next step, leave out the details.

To help you find the right proportions, you can use basic geometrical shapes. The head is close to being a circle, while the ears are closer to being triangles.

Although the sketch stage can look quite rough, it is the most crucial step in the drawing process. Make sure all the dog’s body parts are proportional to each other as you draw.

You may find later that parts of your drawing are too large, too long, or too small if you begin drawing them separately. You may have to start again or erase large portions of your drawing.

Step 2 – Create an outline drawing

After you’ve completed the proportions sketch, create an outline drawing. Next, add details like the eyes, nose and mouth to the sketch/guidelines.

As long as the dog was properly proportioned in the previous steps, this step should be relatively easy.

Step 3 – Start Shading

The shading should be close to the direction of actual fur growth. This will make the dog’s coat look more real.

Remember that longer fur, such as the tail, will eventually begin to fall.

Step 4 – Completely shade and finish the dog side view drawing

Apply more shading to darken the fur slowly. Make sure to work in the fur’s direction.

You can also draw small strokes to indicate fur at certain places, such as the furry ends. You can replace the majority of the outline depending on what breed you have. You can leave the fur at the base of the ears, the front of your head, and the front of your legs as it is.

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MatthewNewton