Today's drawing tutorials are a realistic a cute stylized puppy and a panting dog. The stylized one is perfect for beginners or kids, though the panting one isn't that difficult. It just takes a bit more attention to detail and the help of a photo reference. Be sure to check out my other dog art tutorials too!
Cute Puppy
1. Make a circle for the head and draw the center lines.
2. Draw the muzzle.
3. Add in the eyes and the top of the head.
4. Add the ears.
5. Add details.
6. Color. Don't forget a highlight on the nose!
Panting Dog
1. Make a circle for the head and draw the center line. The body is an oval shape.
2. Block out the muzzle, neck, and eye and ear placement.
3. Detail the muzzle and eyes.
4. Detail the bottom jaw and add the collar.
5. Detail the ears and neck.
6. Add some simple values and highlights.
The puppy was drawn in Flash and the panting dog was drawn in MyPaint.
Leave a comment if you have any questions! I hope this was helpful!
Just in case people who are following me on here aren't subscribed to me on YouTube, I thought I'd start uploading my art video tutorials here again, so they can see them. On top of that, I've made still image/written tutorials to accompany the videos, just in case you want to get the gist of them really quickly.
Most of my videos are recordings of me working through the artwork, so you might want to scrub through them to get a better idea of how the drawing was made. Image tutorials always make things look overly simple, which is why I think that video tutorials are generally better. But you have both to choose from here, so go with whichever you find most helpful! Click the images to see them at full size. And be sure to check out some of my other cat tutorials!
Cute Kitten
1. Make a circle for the head and draw the center line. The body is an oval shape.
2. Block out the muzzle and eye and ear placement.
3. Detail the muzzle and eyes.
4. Add in the fur and eyebrow ridges.
5. Detail the ears.
6. Add some simple values and a couple whiskers.
Grumpy Cat
1. Make a circle for the head and draw the center line.
2. Block out the muzzle, neck, and eye and ear placement.
3. Detail the mouth, nose, and eyes.
4. Add in the fur, eyebrow ridges, and lines to define the sides of the muzzle.
5. Detail the ears and neck.
6. Add some simple values.
Both of these were drawn in MyPaint.
Leave a comment if you have any questions! I hope these were helpful!
Last time I covered how to draw cat faces/heads. I also made some how to draw cats video tutorials. Today I'm going to give a tutorial on something much more simple: cat paws. Unlike dog paws, which can come in a variety of shapes, cat paws are pretty much all the same.
How to Draw Cat Paws Tutorial
Art Type: Traditional or Digital
I'm Using: Photoshop CS4 and an Intuos 4
I used references to guide these drawings. I suggest using references as well, especially if you're drawing an animal that you haven't practiced with much, or if you want a realistic style.
You can click the image below to see it larger.
Draw the basic shapes. The paw is best represented by a shape like an oval.
Add the guide lines to divide the paw into toes. Make the line in the middle go all the way down, so you can be sure the paw is pointing the right way. If the claws are extended, single lines help to guide you when drawing them in detail in the next step.
Either half erase your guide drawing, or draw on a new layer if working digitally. Add the details. The trick to making cat paws look "right" is using curves and keeping the shapes soft and smooth, like real cat paws. When the claws are retracted, there are little areas on the paws where there is no fur, leading to those holes and lines in the front of the paws. Note that the claws are positioned more toward the inside edges of the toes, not in the middles. Don't draw the claws too long. These are cats, not tigers. Erase the guide drawing and you're done!
I know this was pretty short, but as you can see, cat paws aren't complicated. Next time I'll discuss a more involved drawing subject: cat bodies and poses.
Now that I've got the dog site up and running, I thought it would be fun to cover something totally opposite to dogs: cats! This week is cat week. I'm going to cover how to draw cat heads/faces, paws, and bodies, then wrap the week up with a best of cat art post.
If you haven't taken a look at my "How to Draw Animals" post, you might want to. I also made some how to draw cats video tutorials. You may find some helpful tips in those that you can apply to your cat drawings.
How to Draw Cat Faces/Heads Tutorial
Art Type: Traditional or Digital
I'm Using: Photoshop CS4 and an Intuos 4
I used references to guide these drawings. I suggest using references as well, especially if you're drawing an animal that you haven't practiced with much, or if you want a realistic style.
You can click the images below to see them larger.
How to Draw a Cat Face/Head- Front View
Draw an oval (ovals are more accurate representations of cat skulls than circles).
Draw the guide lines. The inside edges of the eyes connect to the inside edges of the ears.
Either half erase your guide drawing, or draw on a new layer if working digitally. Add oval eyes with a bit of a slant near the inside corners. Don't forget the tear ducts.
Add the nose and muzzle. Lines on the side of the muzzle help keep it from looking flat.
Add the ears.
Add the fur and details like the brow ridges and shading on the eyes. Erase the guide drawing. You can add whiskers if you want, but they are not necessary and can make your drawing look more cluttered if done wrong.
How to Draw a Cat Face/Head- Side View
Draw an oval.
Add the guide lines. The inside edge of the eye connects to the inside edge of the ear. Don't make the muzzle too long or it will look like a dog.
Either half erase your guide drawing, or draw on a new layer if working digitally. Add the eye and tear duct.
Add the muzzle. Let it transition gracefully into the forehead, giving the cat a smooth profile.
Add the ears. Notice how the other ear is offset due to perspective.
Add the fur and details like the brow ridges and shading on the eyes.
Erase the guide drawing.
How to Draw a Cat Face/Head- 3/4 View
Draw an oval.
Add the guide lines. At this angle, it is very important to get the horizontal and vertical guide lines right, or your cat may not wind up at the angle you want. The inside edges of the eyes connect to the inside edges of the ears.
Add the eyes and draw in the side of the face. You can't see the tear duct on the right eye due to the angle.
Add the muzzle. Keep a square shape in mind as you draw it. This will make it wind up looking properly 3-dimensional.
Add the ears. Notice the detail on the inner edge of the left ear (your right as you face it). This adds to the realism and is one of the cool shapes you can find in reference photos.
Add the fur and details like the brow ridges and shading on the eyes.
Erase the guide drawing.
I hope this was helpful! Tomorrow I'll cover how to draw cat paws.
Now that I've given my own tips on how to draw dogs in my two part tutorial (Part 1, Part 2) and my tips on how to draw animals, let's take a look at what other people have to say on the subject of making dog art. I've always found that the best way to learn how to do something artistic, aside from practice, is get various perspectives on the subject. However, it can be hard to find any good tutorials that go beyond simple how-tos for kids, which is why I hope this list will be helpful. If there are any good ones you think I've left out, feel free to leave a comment linking to them!
Please note that in general I don't suggest using tutorials that just teach you how to draw one type of dog in one type of pose, which is why you won't find any here. These can be helpful (and fun) when you're starting out, but you're soon going to want to draw a different dog in a different pose. The only way to learn how to do that is to learn at least some basic anatomy and practice from photos or life (this is how I learned). Step by step how-tos will only take you just so far. I also don't suggest using the grid system, unless you plan on only ever doing pet portraits. It's a very helpful system, but doesn't teach you much about anatomy, which can restrict you later if you want to do any imaginative art.
Canine Anatomy Tutorial- This tutorial by Photografever gives a great introduction to canine anatomy and how to use it in relation to posing, without any major skeleton or muscle study required.
How to Draw and Shade a Dog Sketch- Shows how to use a phot reference, and gives a short discussion how to see form with light and shadow and how to add fur texture.
How to Draw Mammal Legs- A great tutorial by Elruu that explains the do's and dont's of posing animal (mainly canine) legs.
Dog Pose Tutorial- A great guide to dog body language and expressions by SleepingDeadGirl.
Canine Ear Variations- Dalmatianluver drew some great dog ear references, showcasing the many different types from different angles.
Fur Tutorial (Traditional Art) (Digital Art)- Two different tutorials about how to draw fur, since I didn't cover it. These are very detailed and helpful (I've used both).
Basic Animal Anatomy- by Majnouna. There's a canine in the third row, but I suggest you read everything because there is some great information in this guide.
Dog Teeth Tutorial- This tutorial by WolfPearl goes very in depth into things regarding dog teeth. This is a good read if you're studying dog anatomy seriously.
Canine Hind Paw and Forepaw Studies- These aren't exactly tutorials, but if you're wondering what type of art to make when studying dog anatomy, these studies by ArnaThornwolf are great examples. They also are great references of different paw angles and poses.
Canine Anatomy Illustrations- I linked to this collection in my tutorials, but it's so helpful that I'm putting it here, too. This isn't a tutorial, but it is my main guide to animal anatomy (canine anatomy begins on the page with images 37-48; "der hund" = the dog). Using this can save you the money you'd normally have to put into buying a decent animal anatomy book. And seeing as how this came from a veterinary anatomy book, you can be sure all the illustrations are scientifically accurate.
If you have a tutorial you think I should add, leave a link in the comments and I'll take a look at it. And if you're in need of any dog drawing inspiration, in my next post I'm going to show you tons of great dog art (and great dog artists).
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