Step 15: Now use the other lines as guides to draw the hind legs using the same technique. The hind legs should be wider at the top and become narrower at the bottom. The hind legs are also placed far from each other to give the German shepherd dog a powerful stance. Follow the path of the guide line as you sketch the other leg. This leg doesn't extend toward the back. It's closer to the front. Darken the lines when you have the structure right, and add the toes at the bottom.

Step 16: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the German shepherd dog's body and tail. Follow the path of the lines as you draw quick, short strokes throughout the body for a furry texture. You can use longer strokes if you want to draw your German shepherd with shaggier fur. Make the tail wider as you follow the path of the line.

Step 17 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of them. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your German shepherd dog drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the German shepherd dog so it doesn't appear to be floating.

You can stop here for a white German shepherd breed or you can add more value throughout your German shepherd dog drawing for extra detail. German shepherds have a "black mask" on their faces, so push hard with your pencil for a darker value on the muzzle and eyes. Add the value by using strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. German shepherd dogs usually have a large dark area on their back called a saddle or blanket, so add a darker value there too. If you have a German shepherd, try to duplicate its pattern on your drawing. You can also add a dark value all over for a black shepherd. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a German Shepherd Dog" video to draw at your own pace.

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