How to Draw Dogs

for the Absolute Beginner

Adrian Sanqui

How to Draw Series

Mendon Cottage Books

JD-Biz Publishing

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No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission from JD-Biz Corp Copyright © 2016

All Images Licensed by Fotolia, Pixabay, John Davidson, and 123RF.

Disclaimer

The information is this book is provided for informational purposes only. The information is believed to be accurate as presented based on research by the author.

The author or publisher is not responsible for the use or safety of any procedure or treatment mentioned in this book. The author or publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions that may exist.

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Table of Contents

Introduction: Drawing Dogs

Drawing tools

Drawing Software

Akita

Siberian Husky

Bearded Collie

Chow

German Shepherd

Tibetan Mastiff

Author/illustrator bio

Publisher

Introduction: Drawing Dogs

If you want to learn how to draw dogs but you do not have any experience in drawing at all, then this drawing manual is created for you. This book contains different examples how to draw different dogs, broken down and explained in a way that an absolute beginner could easily follow. From creating the base out of basic shapes, composing the outlines and applying different values of colors, along with effectively depicting the texture, every smallest detail is discussed in order so the reader could initiate the steps while learning.

Along with the examples are brief introductions of the kinds of dogs that are used, so you will get to know a little about the subjects and perhaps be a bit more indulged in creating them if you aren’t already. The examples vary from easy, mediocre to hard. This will help you quickly improve the quality of your drawing. The steps in these drawing tutorials are made in a way that can be applied whether you are to draw traditionally or digitally, by starting with a basic shape to create a base up to elaborating the details.

Drawing tools

Pencils & Charcoals

The ‘H’ engraved near the pencil’s tip (side of eraser) stands for “hardness” and it ranges from 2H to 9H. A pencil with only an “H” mark and doesn’t have a number means 1H. The most common type (the one available anywhere) of pencil that does not indicate its grade mark is usually a 2H pencil. The “B” marking of pencils stand for “blackness", this means that they can easily produce darker line marks and are softer than H pencils. It ranges from HB (hard and dark) to 9B (very soft and very dark), so when it comes to B pencils, the higher the number is; the softer and darker it becomes. Different brands have different softness, hardness and blackness levels, so if you are going to use a certain brand for the first time, you should try them out first before applying it on your main drawing.

Charcoal pencils also come in different grades. The generic grades of soft, medium and hard are available in different brands. Charcoal pencils are a bit messy to work with; even the ‘hard’ grade charcoal pencil is still relatively softer compared to those with 4B to 6B grade pencils.

Mechanical pencils are good for small and subtle detailing that requires very thin lines, instead of sharpening your pencil several times just to have a thin and constant fine point that you need. Different grades of lead or graphite is also available for refilling your mechanical pencil.

Erasers & Smudge Tools

Good quality erasers are essential if you are going to use a pencil for drawing. Choose a rubber eraser that is soft and not the ones that leave a faint color or worst is a scratch on the paper. Keep them on a pencil case or anything that can protect it from being exposed on air for too long because some erasers (cheaper ones) harden when it’s left lying around because it will dry out and harden.

A kneadable eraser is very helpful for making highlights and reaching areas that are hard to access, like the gloss on the eyes or light portions of fingernails and such. It usually looks like a gray slab or a small bar of clay that can be molded or deformed to any shape you desire. It does not rub off the marking like usual erasers, but instead, it lifts off the graphite from the paper, like absorbing it. Instead of rubbing the eraser with a certain pressure to remove a marking, carefully dab on the portions you want to erase or to simply decrease the applied graphite or charcoal until you recover the brightness (whiteness of the paper) you want.

A smudge stick is used for smearing the shades on the portions that are hard to access. Some artists dull down the other tip so it can be used for distributing the shades on the big areas. To avoid ruining the smudge stick, use a sand paper to make a blunter tip or to make it even pointier. Smudge sticks or blending stumps comes in different sizes, choose what best fits your needs and it will be a big help for blending gradations.

Keep those used up smudge sticks even if it’s already in a rugged state (dirty or worn out), you never know when it might get handy. Dirty smudge sticks are useful for producing faint shades, and those with torn up tips can make textures that you might find useful.

Coloring materials

If you are planning to color your drawing, choose a coloring tool that best fits your needs. Oil pastels are good for blending and synchronizing different colors together. It might get messy on your first trials (if you don’t want to get messy, just place a clean piece of paper for your palm rest, to avoid rubbing your palm against the colored portions of your drawing) but you’ll get the hang of it as you use it more often. Oil pastels are good for beginners as a practicing tool for smearing different color values.

Color pencils are the next best thing for filling your drawing with colored hatches (linear shading), or even coloring via scribbling. This coloring tool is best for small-sized illustrations. Although, the peak of the tone values that a common color pencil set can produce are far weaker than the oil pastel’s, and it cannot be smeared (but there are available color pencils which can produce strong color tones just like oil pastel’s or even acrylic’s, but they are quite pricy; like the prisma color pencils).

Drawing Software

Paint Tool Sai

Paint Tool Sai is known for its lightweight performance and speed. This program would easily run even on low-end devices. It has all the essential tools to create illustrations from simple to advance. There are fair amount of brushes with textures to choose from and it could be adjusted according to your needs.

Just like any other app, the layout of Paint Tool Sai could be intimidating for beginners with all those features and panels displayed by default, but just play around with it until you get the hang of it and gradually know what the panels and tools are for. Since this software is widely used by a lot of artists, it won’t be hard to find tutorials if there is anything you can’t figure out on your own. What the users really like about it as a drawing application is it’s ‘stabilizer’ feature, which consistently guides your strokes as you make your line work to avoid any unintended squiggles. A feature that is quite helpful and dependable for those who draw illustrations purely digital. It is compatible for pressure sensitivity, which is a plus for those using drawing tablets and other units with digitizers.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is the most popular application used not just by illustrators but also photographers and more, and there’s a very good reason for it. The versatility of this software is more than what you need to create a fine masterpiece. From applying effects, textures and refined adjustments, Adobe Photoshop easily became a ‘go to’ for professionals and considered as a standard of ‘industrial-grade’ editing software. The number of brushes in this software by default is already wide and quite a useful variety, and the number of features and effects (filters and color/lighting tweaks) you may use to enhance your work is laid out in a very organized manner.

Although versatile with a handful of features, Adobe Photoshop is originally designed as an editing software. You might feel a slight difference in drawing directly through the application compared to the likes of Paint Tool Sai which is specifically designed to make digital illustrations. And aside from this small differences in the ‘feel’ factor, it is quite a heavy application to run. You are going to need a powerful machine to get the most of its efficient performance. For its popularity, Photoshop has been released with different versions and updates. As expected, newer versions have more features than the older ones, but is it also more demanding in terms of system requirements.

Autodesk Sketchbook Pro

Autodesk Sketchbook Pro is probably the most lightweight software that is filled with features that an illustrator would need to make a decent artwork, either just a sketch or a full-blown deeply detailed illustration. It may not be on a same league as the editing capabilities of Adobe Photoshop, but as the name suggest, this software is made to produce digital illustrations and not photo manipulations. With its user-friendly interface and the simplicity of the layout, this drawing application easily became one of my personal favorites.

Due to its appealing simplicity and minimal system requirements, Autodesk Sketchbook Pro became popular to beginners and even to some professionals. The common needs of a digital artist are met by this lightweight software like being able to create several layers, opacity adjustments for each one and pressure sensitivity for using digitizers and tablets. The tools are placed on easily accessible panels and the buttons are adequately big enough to be pressed easily, which is somewhat a problem on other applications when you are solely relying on touch rather than keyboard commands. But since the interface is different than most drawing and editing applications, you will have to play with it for a little while so you can get used to it. And unlike Paint Tool Sai and Adobe Photoshop, you could only open one project or file at a time.

Akita

A native to the Akita prefecture in Japan, thus the name, this big dog was used to accompany hunter for tracking animals on a big hunt. Aside from their reliable tracking skills, it was said that they were also used as guard dogs by the royal families of Japan. It is also referred to as “the Great Japanese Dog”, and the locals of Japan simply call them “Akita inu” (‘inu’ means dog).

The akita is covered with soft two layers of thick fur that could either be short or relatively long. It is usually bicolored but could also have tricolored. Those with three tones on its fur are the brindled ones, having two main colors with short random stripes of darker color on its body. It comes in different tones of brown; either chocolate brown, light brown or reddish cream. the second tone is white, covering the underside of its body from the neck and to under the tail. The limbs are often white from knees to toes (like wearing a white sock), and the muzzle is also either white, same as the primary tone or darker.

The face of an akita is relatively comparable to a bear or a fox, with thick triangular muzzle, relatively small eyes and broad cheek. As puppies, ears are often loosely hang downwards, but it often stiffens as it grows older. One distinct feature of this dog is its tail is always arced or curled and rested to the back. There are two recognized kind of Akitas, the native Japanese akita and the American variation. The differences are the color combinations of the coat and small differences in facial structure. During the war, this dog nearly faced extinction. Due to the lack of food, some were forced to hunt and eat them. They also feared that dogs of any kind might spread some disease. But after the war, the breed was carefully preserved and was well taken care of.

Draw some shapes to initially define the size of the dog.

The body of a dog can be easily established by two basic shapes, a pear shaped half oval and a sphere for the lower body. Use a sphere for the head and place cross reference lines to establish which direction it should be facing.

Define the length of the limbs and include the other parts.

Establish both thighs using oblongs, with almost the half of it them resided inside the lower body’s sphere. In a side view angle, one of the oblong should overlap the other since the one is at the back of the view. Define the length of the front legs as well, and a small half circle to establish the size of the paws.

The tail of an akita is curled and rested on top of its backside. Add a ‘V’ reference line to the head that runs at the middle of both quarter halves of the sphere. The muzzle is basically a triangular tear-shape that resides at the lower center of the sphere. Use the reference line to properly place the mouth and the nose.

Add thickness to the limbs and finish the main outline of the dog figure.

Use the base figure to flesh out the shape of the dog. Define the thickness of the limbs properly. Remember that the thickness of each leg should slim decrease as it reaches the paw. Place the facial features using the reference lines as a guide. The eyes should be place right at the corner of the horizontal and diagonal lines, and the ears are positioned at the tip of those diagonal lines.

Clean up the drawing so you’ll only be left with the main outline.

Now that you have your main outline, remove the base figure and reference lines.

Retrace the figure outline while conveying the texture by using feathered lines.

Redefine the main outline using fine lines of overlapping broken strokes which is also called feathering. This should easily create a subtle tracing of a furry outline. With a very faint line work, establish the division of the Akita’s bicolored body. it has two solid town at the upper area that covers the top of the head, a long saddle-shaped outline at the body that extends to the thighs, and down to the upper side of the tail. the rest of the lower sides including the face are often bright colored.

Apply the first base color of the akita. Use a darker tone to cast shadows.

Begin coloring by filling up the undersides and the face with a very faint shade of gray (like smoke gray or bright silver). Using a darker shade like basic gray, convey the shadows underneath the overlapped portions of the legs and under the chin.

Add a layer of a cooler value for a brighter tone.

Establish the brighter value of the first base color using a very light bas gray or grayish baby blue tone. Apply this to the topside of the muzzle, middle areas of the legs and the nearest gray sides of the chest. Add a couple of strokes with this tone on the tail as well.

Portray texture on the base color using a brighter tone.

Using cool white, establish the texture of the fur by applying faint strands of lines. Your hand strokes should be very light as you produce very fine and very faint lines. Using the same process, with the same manner, apply strands of basic gray on one of edges of the limbs to convey their sloped dimensions.

Apply the second base color.

The color on the upper sides of an akita is comparable to a red fox’s which is red brown. You can use a shade of warm brown color like sandy brown or a pale brown orange color like bright cider or ochre.

Add a darker value to the second base color.

Using a stronger and darker like rust orange or amber, apply a shade on the edges of the sloped areas of the figure to establish its dimensions. Create a shade with overlapping line strokes that depicts the contour of the body.

Elaborate the texture.

Create a pattern on how the fur flows on the body of the dog. for a short yet dense fur like the akita’s, the flow on less curvy planes is most likely downwards, while the furs covering the large areas would most likely flow side ways. Convey these patterns using a darker and brighter shade of the base colors.

Keep on working on the texture and color the facial features.

In appearance, the eyes of an akita are often hidden in shadows since the sockets are deepened by the brows. The nose is black and so are the lips. Darken the inner areas of the eats with brown, and elaborate the fur by adding another layer of faint contour lines.

Reinforce the dimensions of the figure by adding darker shadows.

Darken the cast shadows even further using a faint shade of anchor black. Make your final retouches and you’re done.

If you watched one of the most the dramatic film based on a real story entitled “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” (a remake of an older Japanese film), then you must have known what kind of dog an Akita is, since Hachiko (the dog main character) is the most famous of its kind, a great Japanese dog. If you Haven’t seen it, the story is about a dog and his master who had a very strong bond with each other. Hachiko would accompany his master, a professor, as he commuted his way to work at a train station. He would see him off, go home, and then back to the station at the time of the professor’s arrival. Until the professor passed while he was at work, not knowing that his master would never arrive again, Hachiko kept on coming back to the train station and waited for his master’s return all his life time. This film which is based on a real story has touched the hearts of many, most especially the Japanese, that they made a statue of Hachiko right at the train station where he kept on coming back to. This particular akita became an icon of what this kind of dog is known for, which is its genuine loyalty to its master.

Siberian Husky

Everybody could easily recognize a Siberian husky when they see one. Its wolf-like appearance is a thing of beauty that easily grabs anyone’s attention, combined with its bright blue eyes or sometimes with one having a different color. This popular breed of medium sized dog is a good combination of beauty and reliability. Originally trained as a sled dog, it became a popular companion due to its friendly nature. As the name suggest, the siberian husky originated from Siberia, Russia. It is an intelligent breed that is known for its resiliency. With its thick fur coat, it could withstand cold climates and is able to aid tribes as working dogs. It was also referred to as the ‘alaskan husky’ when it was first introduced to Canada. The word ‘husky’ was said to have come from the term ‘esky’ which refers to eskimos.

This breed is a friendly active dog. It is known to behave well around kids, but should be left with an activity it could get busy with if kept indoors. Due to their energy level, as being a medium sized working dog, if could get pretty destructive if it gets bored. The owner of a Siberian husky should be responsible, taking it to daily exercise walks with a good knowledge of training them. They may be friendly to people, but huskies are hunters in nature. Other household pets smaller that this dog should be introduced on an early stage. It is advisable to never let it off its leash if you walk it, and hold firmly to it, or they would chase around almost anything when they find it interesting. They are also known to dig and clever escape artists, so make sure that your fence is very firm and high enough if you don’t want to lose your dog. The Siberian huskies are pack animals, so you have to make sure that you establish that you are the ‘alpha’ of the pack, or you would have a hard time training your dog and listening to commands.

Convey the mass of the body and head.

The same combinations of shapes can still be used even in lying positions of the dog. The only significant adjustment you have to make is how the legs would fold. Start with the body and the head at first. Don’t forget the cross reference line for the head. a Siberian husky has a relatively long trunk and a slender waist.

Depict the folds and position of the limbs, and add the other parts.

One of the common lying position of a dog is with its lower body turned on the side while the part of the abdomen lays flat. The front limbs are usually in a shape of an ‘L’ with the elbows rested on the ground.

Draw two oblongs with one right on top of the other. it should be angled in a way that its directed on the quarter side instead of the front. From the oblongs, draw two ‘L’ lines to represent the length of the rest of the folded legs. Start placing the facial features by beginning with the upper jaw line. The eyes and the erected ears should be diagonally aligned.

Convey the main outline of the figure.

Complete the facial features and flesh out the dog’s figure. a Siberian husky has a fairly thick neck and relatively slender limbs (due to the body’s thick coat that makes it appear thicker). Remember that the thickness of each limb should narrow down as it reaches the paw, and the back leg should be rested on top of the other.

Complete the mouth by drawing the lower jaw, which also completes its semi-conical shape. When drawing an open mouth, it is easier to define the outline of the lips first and the connect the outline of the jaw coming from the outer side of the sphere (head).

Refine the outlines.

Retrace the sketch outlines with cleaner and more visible line marks while adding some texture to it.

Remove the unnecessary markings.

Once you are satisfied with your line work, erase all the unnecessary sketch marks and only leave the main outline of the figure to prepare it for coloring. Add a few inner outlines such as the jaw line and a few ripples on the body. Define these outlines with thin and toothed or zigzag lines to portray the texture of the fur.

Start applying the colors.

Most siberian huskies have bicolored fur coat. The first and usually darker color covers the top of the body from forehead to tail. the second color that is usually light extends from the undersides of the tail, the limbs, and up to its face which outlines the cheek and brow lines. A ‘mask’ pattern that is comparable to a wolf.

For a gray and white rendition of the bicolored fur, begin with the brighter undersides using silver. Keep in mind that the base colors should be rendered with mid, dark and bright. You will be using different shades of gray in this situation. Being deemed as “white” doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to use a white color. It is often one step darker. Color the inner areas of the ears as well. Leave the areas that should be ‘gray’ uncolored.

Apply the color of the upper side of the body.

Use a darker shade of gray, like dim gray, for the second base color. Use soft strokes as the darker tone meets the other one.

Define the texture of the body using different tones of the base colors.

Now that the two base colors are in place, render the texture of the fur using lighter, cooler, and darker tones. You will be applying a number of short thin lines to signify the strands of fur, and these strands should flow with the dimensions of the body. Use a darker tone gray (shadow gray) and apply faint line strokes bordering the gray fur color. Shade the inner sections of the ears using the same tone.

To contrast the darker shade of gray, use something like stone gray to create significantly thinner strands. The pattern of the furs flow should seem like the came from the head and curve down to the neck. The slanted strands on nearest to the eyes and the check would tilt further as they reach the nape.

The fur covering the face, particularly on the forehead, should convey the contour of the area. The short and thin rows of lines arcs with the brows at they meet with the other side’s rows at the gap between the eyes. Apply a thin coloring of a bright slate gray tone on the sides of the muzzle and corners of the brow lines. This would be the coolest and brightest gray value.

Use a brighter shade of silver to establish the fur strands of the white area, and a basic gray tone to contrast it (and for the sides with cast shadows).

Color the facial features and keep on working on the texture.

Apply the unique blue color of the Siberian husky’s eyes using indigo on the inner edges and basic blue for the rest of the iris. The pupil should be black. Outline the lips with a deep gray tone, and color the tongue with rosewood red and sienna for the shadows. The nose is black with hints of deep dark brown.

Keep on defining the fur texture.

Convey the dimensions of the figure by adjust the gaps between the strands of fur. The lines should get darker, thinner and closer to one another as they get to the slope on the edges of the figure’s outline. Follow the ripples and folds of the body so the pattern of the fur coat would flow with the contour apply a few strands of the white tone values to the gray areas.

Apply a very thin (almost unnoticeable) shade on the edges of each part that curves or slopes inward.

Finalize the drawing by adding a layer of very faint shading on the edges and underneath the overlapped areas. Add your final retouches and you are done.

The Siberian husky breed has proven its reliability several times in history. In year 1925, the Siberian huskies have played a vital part for saving the people of Nome and the other towns surrounding it. Due to the harsh weather, Siberian huskies were used to transport the serum that saved the community from an epidemic. This event was known as the ‘great race of mercy’ or the ‘1925 serum run to Nome’. The annual sled race known as the “Iditarod trail sled dog race” was made to commemorate this important event in Alaska. Mushers would gather with their well-trained sled dogs to participate an eight to fifteen days of race, overcoming the danger of blizzards with wind temperatures of down to -73 Celsius. The name of half-wolf Balto in the animation film “Balto” was also to give respect to the lead dog, of the same name, of the first musher (Gunnar Kaasen) who arrived in Nome during this critical time. The Siberian huskies were also used by the U.S. Army during World War II to accompany their rescue units in arctic search.

Bearded Collie

This hyperactive dog is best suited for those who don’t mind having a playful pet who would jump around and lick your face if it reach you. The bearded collie is a dog that originated from and is native to Scotland. Their lively personality fitted perfectly as an accompany to the farmers for herding their animals. It was said that the dog breed came to existence when a sheepdog that was brought by a Polish merchant was crossbred to a lowland Scottish sheepdog, but this story was unproven since it has no evident records whatsoever. The name “bearded collie” is made because of its beard-like fur on its muzzle. It is also referred to as “highland collie” or “mountain collie, or simply “beardie”.

The beardie has a long unruly coat with a long fur on its chin that would look like a beard if left uncut. It needs to be brushed daily to avoid tangling or matting. It usually has 2 colors (sometimes tricolored with speckles of a faint third tone blended to the main color); from dusty black to brown or light copper, combined with either very faint gray tone, faint cream or white that usually covers the nape, up to the forehead and down to its chest. The toes and front legs are also often covered with white fur. It has round eyes and a long muzzle which is common to collies, and the ears are rested downwards to the side which is also covered with thick and long fur.

Create the base.

Even though a bearded collie is covered with long and thick layers of fur, it is much better to define the shape of its body first to make sure that it is well proportionate. Use a mango shaped oval for the upper body and a sphere for the hips. Add another sphere with a cross reference line for the head.

Add the limb and the facial features.

Position the legs using simple line marks to define the length. Use oval to define the mass of the thighs. The muzzle is cone-shaped with a flat end, sticking out from the center of the lower half of the sphere (head). Add the triangular nose on the upper tip of the muzzle, and then draw a reference line coming from the edges of the triangle and connect it to the horizontal line of the sphere. That would be the position of the eyes.

Define the mass of the figure.

Use the base form to easily construct the outline of the body. Take note that even this part will be covered and modified. You need this to properly lay out the layers of fur. Add the other details such as the long oval ears and the mouth.

Add the thick fur to define the main outline of the bearded collie.

Finally, define the main outline which depicts the long and thick fur coating of the dog. They are basically random curved lines resting downwards from the body. Don’t forget the beard-like fur on the muzzle of the dog which is what it is known for.

Erase the sketch of the base figure and all the unnecessary line marks, and then add more fur.

Remove the basic shapes, reference lines and everything else aside from the main outline that depicts the fur. Once cleaned, add more inner outlines portraying several layers of the fur on the body. Remember to follow the round dimensions of the figure as you make these layers.

Color the tips of the layered fur with a dark value.

Due the layered coating of a bearded collie, it often has a color of different shades.

A light brown colored collie could have tones as light as khaki brown and as dark as shadow gray. To begin, apply a faint shade using a very deep gray (almost charcoal gray) on the tips of the layered fur coat with a very light hand strokes.

Color the undersides with a mildly lighter shade.

Following the dark tone, color the undersides of the figure using ash gray. Depict the texture as you follow through with the different shades. You will be filling the figure with layers and layers of contour lines, and every strand should flow with the pattern accordingly.

Depict the dimensions of the figure as you apply the mid tone.

Still coming from the sides, apply contour lines that curve to the body using stone gray. Apply strands of the same tone on the forehead that flows with the ears, and on the beard (but leave the face).

Add a brighter tone at the topside of the body and the beard.

Now we lean towards the brownish tone. This is where the gray shades transition into cream color values. Following the stone gray, continue the contour lines using khaki brown or dark tan (not to be confused with khaki yellow). Apply a few of this tone on the sides of the muzzle, ears and beard.

Use a brighter color for the beard.

The head usually has an observable brighter tone. for this area (from the forehead and down the beard), use a brownish tan or ecru yellow.

Add some strands of shade using a lighter tone.

Apply strands of tone with a brighter yet duller value. Use something like smoke gray on the front of the beard and up to the brows.

Thicken the layers of fur lines using darker tones.

Now we begin to thicken the fur using more visible line strokes yet thinner or finer lines. The process would strengthen the color values and blending them together using contour lines. Start with the beard. Remember to flow with the strokes you previously made. Apply stronger and darker tones from the values you previously applied. Color the facial features as well.

Apply more contour lines on the body using heavier strokes and finer lines.

Do the same process on the entire figure. Leave no space uncolored. Apply strands of darker tones to the mid tone areas, and apply mid tone strands to the bright tone areas, and so on.

Darken the under sides and outline edges using a darker value.

Re-establish the layering of the fur by applying a shade on beneath or right below them, especially below the ears and across the body. Cast shadows using a faint shade of shadow gray. Use a very light and controlled hand stroke as you apply the shadows. Make some final retouches, and you’re done.

The bearded collie is quite a friendly breed. It can easily live together with other animals of the household, as well as plays with kids pretty well. The kids and the dog would enjoy playing around until they drain out of energy. It might get a little loud. Beardies bark a lot if it feels like it's being ignored. It would bark on any stranger it sees closing by, which is why it is also good as a watch dog. But with all those positive traits, this dog is like a furry ball of energy and it wants to keep itself busy most of the time, leaving tracks of dirt and anything that was caught on its fur. Even as it grows older, it would behave as if it is still a puppy. In spite of its size, the beardie jumps and runs a lot as if it never runs out of energy. It is advised you have a spacious yard where it could run around and have a tall fence to prevent it from destroying your neighbors’ garden. Needless to say, this very active dog has a potential of being a trouble maker if it is not trained properly. It is suited for people that also has an active lifestyle that could keep up with this dog’s energy and enthusiasm, who has enough time to take it to walks or runs, or in this case, hops. It is rarely calm and still, so you’re in for a blast.

Chow

Being one of the oldest and most recognizable breeds, the chow has been called many names, and all of which describes its very distinct appearance. In its main land, its been cold the or “songshi quan” because of its thick coat that seems like a lion’s mane, the “lang gou” which means wolf dog or “xiang gou” which means bear dog, because of its facial structure. The name chow was not originally meant to refer to this dog. Chow chow is a term that was used to refer to random cargos that British merchants would sell, and one of those random items were these dogs. The dog was said to have originated from Mongolia, which used to be a part of China. As one of the ancient breeds, the chow appeared in different old records. They fancied this dog a lot, and it was said that there was once a ruler in China who kept thousands of this kind.

Studies also believe that the dog described from the old records who accompanied Mongolians when they invaded lands were chows. In China, there is also an old story or legend that describes war animals that they referred to as black-tongued lions. These lion-like appearance and the black tongue pretty much describes a chow. The breed was used for different purposes, they were guards of temples in china and they also accompanied hunters and other hounds. In later periods, they also started training them as herding dogs and pulling sleighs. There was even a time that some people also ate them and used their fluffy furs as clothing. The history of how people used this dog to different kinds of tasks and services simply proves that its not just all about the looks but it is also an intelligent breed. Nowadays, people only fancy their cuddly and fluffy appearance. In spite of it’s somewhat dark and tiring jobs at the past, the chow has an undeniably appealing look for those who wants an adorable house dog, since its probably as close as you can get to a teddy bear-looking dog breed.

Create a base figure to establish the mass of the body.

The compact physique of a chow is relatively thick. The subject would be drawn in a less standard/typical posture. The body would be slightly turn as it curves inward (from the view), with the nearer front limb stepping sideways and the head facing the back.

To properly construct such a posture, the base figure should be modified. The body structure of a chow is already thick as it is, this means that the sphere representing the lower body would overlap a quarter of the oval for the upper body. the sphere representing the head should also overlap the upper body. in this angle, the cross reference lines for the head conveying the direction its facing is important.

Establish the thickness of the shoulders and thigh, and then begin drawing the facial features.

Define the mass and position of the shoulders and thighs. Use oblongs for the thighs and smaller spheres for the shoulders. Remember that the nearer front limb is positioned sideways, so the sphere representing it should be placed almost behind the other sphere and barely overlapping it. the position of the hind legs are typical in standing position, with the farther oblong almost completely overlapped by the other.

The muzzle is short and round, at the middle of the lower side of sphere (right on the vertical reference line). Draw the triangular nose on the upper tip of the muzzle and then draw two lines coming from the edges of it (defining the bridge of the muzzle). Following the bridge lines, create two diagonal lines on the upper half of the sphere. The corners where the diagonal lines and horizontal lines meet would be the position of the eyes.

Define the length of the legs and the tail. Complete the facial features.

The ears are set low. Place it just right beside the diagonal lines and not right at them (this change in position happens when the head is a bit wide). Complete the length and toes of the limbs.

Define the main outline of the figure.

Flesh out the figure of the dog. Use feathered line strokes to convey the furry texture.

Retrace the main outline using feathered strokes.

Define the texture outlines properly, with the lines being significantly more visible than the sketch marks. Use fairly thin lines with short random spikes and jagged lines at the curves.

Clean up the drawing.

Now that you have the main outline of the figure, remove the unnecessary line marks and add more depictions of texture inside the figure. The chow with a thick coat would often seem like it has a mane. The dense layers of fur thickens the chest and the cheeks. A few skin folds on the face is also visible, particularly the brow lines and the on the short muzzle.

Apply the base color of the chow.

Not that all the necessary line work is in place, begin filling up the drawing with its base color. A good initial tone for a red coat chow is a mild copper tone.

Add a brighter value.

The undersides of a red chow is usually a bit brighter, so as the back sides of the back legs and the tail. Use a brownish orange tone as a brighter shade of copper. Also, use the same tone to initially establish the rows of fur around the head.

Apply a darker value.

Add a darker shade of copper tone to reinforce the contour dimensions. Follow the rows of the brownish orange you previously applied using a reddish brown value like a rust tone. The topside of the body is also often darker, so apply a faint layer of a formless shade on this area using the same tone.

Elaborate the texture of the fur using subtle lines.

To signify thick layers of dense fur even further, apply a row of very thin and subtle short lines that flows with the contour of the figure. Begin by using the same values you previously applied, with the brighter strands of lines crossing the mid tones and mid tones crossing the brighter areas, warmer shade such as red orange. Go a bit darker for the portions that should be dark, like the shadows underneath the fur layers around the head, and the overlapped areas of the farther limbs. The muzzle could be ash gray, with the nose being charcoal black.

Apply an observably brighter value to portray the texture even further.

Lighter strands of fur would make the layers visually stand out. These lines would best describe the disordered strands of fur covering the tail. You have to adjust the line weight depending on the area. The more even the layer of furs are, the thinner and less bright the strands should become.

Use two brighter tones simultaneously, (like a bright shade of peach and champagne color) with the more brighter strands on the areas where the fur layers become disorderly (especially the tail and back sides of the hind legs), and thinner and less brighter lines (lighter strokes) on those that are evenly rowed.

Finalize the drawing applying a faint shade to portray the dimensions even further. Re-darken the shadows cast by the overlapping layers and the rounded portions of the figure.

The chow is a balance of calm and active dog. He could be kept on small apartments but you also need to give it some exercise from time to time. Probably because of its past as guard dogs, it could get a little possessive with its owner. This special kind of bond with the person that the chow gives to his master gets stronger as it matures. To avoid an unhealthy over protectiveness of the dog, it is better to acquaint it to other animals that belongs to the household, so as to visitors and common friends. Some chows could also be aggressive at times especially when it gets bored, so it is better give it some proper training and a daily activity that it could get busy with. If the behavior is handled properly, the chow could be a well-mannered and well-balanced house pet that you can leave on its own if you have to. It would wait for your return quietly and calmly. Chows have double coats that are either single toned or one tone with different shade values. The brown ones range from reddish copper to faint cream tone. The darker ones could range from dark chocolate brown to greyish tone.

German Shepherd

One of the most common dog that you would see on check points accompanying police officers, or as guides for the blind people or any other form of assistance, is the medium sized brown and black dog that seems enthusiastic about any activity or task it is assigned on. The German shepherd, as the name suggests, is a breed of dog that is local to Germany and was trained to herd sheep. It was bred for a simple task at first, but people realized that this dog’s potential and intelligence could be applied to far more difficult tasks. It was also referred to as Alsatian, or the Alsatian wolf dog (as a dog from Alsace) in Ireland and great Britain. Compared to other dog breeds that became popular merely for the looks and rarity, the usefulness and convenience of having this dog are the reasons why it increased its popularity around the globe. It is considered as one of the most intelligent breed, being able to pick up or learn certain tasks and commands that it is trained for in just a matter of few sessions of training.

At the time after word war 1, a dog survivor of the war named Rin tin-tin, also called as Rinty, became extremely popular. He became one of the most popular dog actors in history just after replacing a wolf that was not responding well with the director. After seeing how well this german shepherd responded to its owner’s commands, the dog started guesting and playing roles as itself in a bunch of films. They even said that Rin Tin-tin helped Warner brothers gain popularity. As a proof of the specific breed’s reliable capability to act on screen, a German shepherd dog named Strongheart, before Rinty’s popularity, was already making its name for itself. Strongheart was considered as one of the first canine actors who also served as a police dog and a red-cross aid during the war before its on-screen career.

Initially establish the body proportions.

The lower body of a german shepherd is observably lower than the front, this makes the outline of his back slanted than arced (like other dogs’). The body is relatively wide on the front then narrows down noticeably. In this kind of body structure, the semi-conical oval representing the oval must be slightly tilted while the top of the sphere representing the lower body levels with it, creating a slanted alignment. The sphere for the head is relatively small. Set the cross reference line a bit higher than the center.

Establish the length of the limbs and position the facial features.

Position the limbs. The standing position of a german shepherd usually looks like its almost in a squat position, and this makes the hind legs appear in a broken ‘L’ position with the hock strongly protruding on the back. Initially establish the folds and length of the limbs including the tail.

Place the facial feature using the cross reference lines as a guide. The muzzle is relatively thick on the base and then narrows down as it sticks out. The eyes are aligned with the bridge of the muzzle, and the erected triangular ears are diagonally aligned with the eyes.

Draw the main outline of the figure.

Using the base figure, establish the main outline of the dog while conveying texture. Apply a few subtle ridges, especially on the lower sides and the tail. Define the prominent cheekbones and subtle fluffs outlining the neck.

Clean up the drawing.

Remove the base figures and all the other line markings you no longer need to prepare for coloring.

Fill the figure with its base color.

The most known bicolored kind of a german shepherd is the black and tan, with the tan fur covering the most of the body and combined with black markings. Use a light shade of brown like cream brown or dark tan.

Convey the dimensions using a darker value.

Add a faint layer of shades on the on the edges of the outlines a tone like light bronze. Also, apply this shade on the overlapped areas such as the farther legs, farther ear and portions of the tail. Convey the contour of the head by applying a shade under the cheek, sides of the muzzle and eye sockets.

Apply the body markings.

Using a dull kind of black, (charcoal black), make a big saddle-shaped mark on the back that extends far on the side part of the body. This might also extend on the upper part of the tail. The ears and the face is also usually black. Apply a thin layer of black from the outline of the brows and to the entire muzzle, and behind the ears.

Apply the small details of the facial features and begin to convey the furry texture starting with the head.

Darken the inner sides of the ears with the deepest shade coming from the ear canal. Use it to describe the concave dimensions and ripples on the earflaps.

German shepherds have dense fur coat made of thick short strands. To portray this easily, you will use finer lighter hand strokes to make thin short lines. The strands are cast downwards, but make sure that you flow with the contour shape of the dog.

Use stronger tones with finer and sharper lines. Apply strands of rust brown to a reddish amber brown on the cream brown/tan surface.

Use lighter and darker values with stronger strokes and finer lines.

For a lighter value, use a paler tone like sandy brown or anything with a hint of lighter cream tone. In contrast to the lighter strands, apply strands using a basic brown tone.

Elaborate the fur texture even further.

Keep on adding more strands while adjusting the values a bit more. Add longer lines to make the coating appear more natural. Slightly overlap the black areas with the strands of brown tones.

Add more values of darker and lighter tones on the texture.

Apply a very faint strandsof a brighter tone with a leans towards a lighter cream tone, something like a brownish flesh tone or a brownish peach. Add strands of coffee brown, mostly on the areas that already has a darker shade (shadowed areas).

Add your final retouches and apply another layer of shading.

Reinforce the dimensions of the figure by re-darkening the areas that should appear darker. This would blend all the textures and tones of the drawing with the shape more effectively.

Due to its natural alertness, German shepherd dogs are proven to be effective watchdogs. With their size, speed and biting power, they are often used by the police and military for different tasks, such as scouting, messengers and guard dogs. Aside from these tasks, their remarkable sense of smell is also proven reliable. They train them to detect illegal narcotics and explosives. As effective as they are to prevent potential threats, this breed is also known for rescue missions. During the unfortunate event in world trade center, German shepherds were used by the rescue teams to find the people that were trapped beneath the debris. Needless to say, this breed is naturally built as working dogs. They are proven to be effective working dogs. They need daily exercise and proper training to reach their potential. They are relatively big and vigilant. Introducing them to other family acquaintances or any visitors early on is vital, and keeping them inside a small apartment without anything to keep them busy is a bad idea.

Tibetan Mastiff

If ever you imagine a dog crossbred to a lion, with big strong paws and thick mane, then you might want to see the Tibetan Mastiff. this large breed of dog is tough and powerful, which goes well with its intimidating appearance and growl. Needless to say, they this breed is by no means related to lions, and it’s not really a mastiff either, although it would proudly stand against anything that threatens the safety of its family. The Tibetan mastiff, as the name suggests, is a local of Tibet, and is known for its loyalty and effectiveness of being a guard dog. Coming from a cold climate, it developed a very thick fur coat to stand the weather. But unlike those who uses their coat to look thicker than how they actually are, this dog actually has a thick mass, big bones with strong legs and huge head. This dog became extremely popular due to its majestic beauty and reliability. As a dog with thick mass and gorgeous fur, it was expected to be hunted for them. It dramatically decreased in numbers and finding pure breeds became rare, and the price for it got up for the dog enthusiasts who want to have them. There was even a Tibetan mastiff that was sold by a breeder for the price of about one million dollars, which definitely makes it one of the most expensive dogs.

It is a big and heavy dog. It could grow about 28 inches in shoulder height, and could grow a weight of about 125 pounds. The head of this dog is big, with thick muzzles and strong jaws. It has a thick and long double coat with a thicker and longer mane. The fur coat could either be solid-toned or bi-color, ranging from different tones of brown, black and gray to white. There are those who has the three shades, with black main color, brown or tan undersides with white chest crests. The brown tones ranges from reddish copper tone to light and faint cream. those with solid tones are usually black and brown ones. The length of the fur depends on the climate of the place; the colder the place is, the thicker the coat would become. On the other hand, the dog would shed more frequently if placed on warmer homes.

Create the base.

Combine different simple shapes to establish the mass of the subject. A pear or mango shaped sphere is fit for establishing the upper and mid body of the dog (chest part being thicker). Add a sphere to establish the folded hind legs, and another smaller one to establish the head. draw a cross reference line to the head. This would serve as a guide when you place the facial features.

Add the other parts.

Establish the front legs using two oblongs and lines to complete the length. In this angle, the oblongs do not overlap and do not align with the head. They should appear more forward or closer to the view compared to the folded back legs. The muzzle is thick with a relatively flat end.

The area of the lower sphere (head) with only be for the upper jaw alone, sticking out on the lower side and covering a quarter of the sphere. Place an upright triangle on the upper tip of the muzzle to establish the placement of the nose, and then draw a bridge that connects to the horizontal reference line of the sphere. Like before, extend these lines across the upper half of the sphere diagonally to locate the placements of the eyes. The eyes would appear relatively small due to the dog’s large head. use half of circles for the big paws. Take note that the toes should be directed a quarter turn.

Complete the features of the head and define the thickness of the limbs.

The triangular ears lay on the side a little more than halfway across the sphere. Begin the outline of the relatively thick lower jaw on the outer side of the sphere. Establish the mass of the legs which are also relatively thick.

Convey the texture of the subject.

One distinct feature of a Tibetan mastiff is its thick fur around its neck like a mane. Portray texture by defining the layers of the mane with a row of short zigzag lines or even spikes, and break the rows as you reach the throat. Complete the line work by establishing the textured main outline.

Clean up the drawing to prepare it for coloring.

Refine the main outline of the figure and erase all the unnecessary line marks to prepare it for coloring.

Apply the base color of the Tibetan mastiff.

One of the common color combination of the Tibetan mastiff’s thick fur coat is black and tan. The brown tan color usually covers the face from the cheek and to the muzzle, and so as the brow lines. The undersides are also brown tan, and lower sides of each limb which makes it appear as if its waring brown socks. To begin, apply a lighter shade of black such as anchor gray. Leave the areas that would have the second base color.

Apply the second base color.

Use bronze as a primary tone for the brown tan. Make hatch lines as the second color meets the first one. The idea is to make it appear like strands of fur. Portray the texture of the mane by applying lines that flows with the form.

Use a darker tone as you convey the furry texture.

Make an initial depiction of the thick furry texture by applying rows of strands that flows with the dimensions of the figure. Slightly curve the tips of each strands so it appears more natural, with the first base tone serving as the tips of the strands separating each row from the other. Color the facial features while you’re at it. the upper lip is black and so is the nose.

Use a duller black tone or deep dark gray like charcoal gray. The face has significantly shorter strands compared to other areas. Signify shorter strands with broken rows of very short lines, and only apply a few.

Add a darker and mid-tone (of the base color) to the mix.

To add more values on the texture, use a shade between anchor gray and charcoal gray. Keep on filling up the figure with its texture with shadow gray along with the previous darker tone. Keep in mind that these layers of fur should convey the contour of the subject. Since the back leg is folded, the rows of fur should also curve. Once the initial texture is complete, shade the edges of the rows underneath the other with black using light hand strokes. Darken the farther areas as well.

Do the same process on the second base color using different color values.

The fur of the undersides are less orderly than the ones covering the upper body. The fur flows downwards that sideways. The strands on the belly area often spike outwards from the base. Brighten the side of the muzzle and add a highlight to the brow using a light copper tone. Apply lighter strands to using the same tone as well. Add some shadows to the fur lines by applying faint streaks of basic brown.

Refine the texture starting with the head.

Follow the pattern of the initial texture definition and elaborate. Apply thinner and finer lines over the previous ones as you add more values on the tone. Let some of the thin lines exceed a little from their respective rows to make it look more natural.

Re-darken the areas that should appear darker.

Amplify the subtle shades beneath the overlapped areas once again. Thicken the layers of fine lines and add more light toned strands. Regain some of the brighter tones by using the base colors to create a few strands of fur.

Elaborate the texture depiction even further.

Do the same process on the entire figure. Keep on adding thin lines on each row of fur until the mid tones become subtle (I went back and forth to each row at least three times). Add more brighter strands of brown (copper) on the legs, especially on the mane and nearer front leg. Thicken the fur of the tail and let several strokes exceed from the previous ones.

Amplify the dark tones to finalize the drawing.

Once you are satisfied with how the fur texture looks, add your final touches and apply a very faint shading to blend everything with the dimensions of the figure.

The Tibetan mastiff is a proud and loyal kind of dog. It is known for its bravery and independence. Some people lock it cages or keep it chained outside their houses for guarding, but the people of Tibet treats this dog as a part of their family and community. They would only tie they up at times which they are expecting a visitor, as this dog is wary of strangers at all times. As a dog that is intelligent and independent, the Tibetan mastiff could be hard to train. Introducing the friendly visitors of the family early on is very crucial. As a very strict guard dog that is only friendly towards the members of the household, it would charge towards anything once it thinks that the person or animal is a threat to the family. This dog is territorial, it does not matter how many or big the threat is, it would engage head on to eliminate the danger.

Thank you for learning to draw with me.

Author/illustrator bio:

Adrian Sanqui, also known as Adrian S. is an author and illustrator that has been working with JDBiz Publishing (Mendon cottage books, L-Bug books, Early Readers Picture Books) for years. Aside from children stories, he also wrote a few short stories under different genres for various platforms. He has also ghostwritten a few stories for other writers in categories for kids and adults including adventure and fantasy/paranormal.

As an illustrator, he made several drawing tutorials for different topics and styles including “Drawing Manual for the Absolute beginner” and “How to Draw Caricatures”, which aim to assist starting artists of both traditional and digital mediums.

https://adriansnq.weebly.com/

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