In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw an English Pointer or German Shorthaired Pointer Dog step-by-step.

 

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

To draw this English Pointer / German Shorthaired Pointer Dog step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

 

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

 

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

 

Step 1: Draw a circle on the left side of the paper as a guide for the front part of the pointer dog's body. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a small, circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

 

Step 2: To the right, draw a smaller circle as a guide for the back portion of the pointer's body. Draw the circles close together. If you draw them too far apart, the dog's body will be too long.

 

 

Step 3: On the left side, draw an even smaller circle as a guide for the pointer's head. Draw this circle using the four-marks method too. This circle should be about one-third the size of the first circle. The dog will be pointing to the left, so don't place the circle too high. It should be at around the same level as the first circle.

 

Step 4: On the lower, left side of the head, draw a small arc as a guide for the pointer dog's muzzle. This arc should be more blocky and less curved. It should also dip down a bit.

 

 

Step 5: Draw a vertical line across the pointer's head for the first part of the guide for the ear. To the right, draw an angled line to complete the guide for the dog's long, floppy ear.

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Step 6: Under the first circle, draw an angled line as a guide for the dog's lifted front foot. The shape of this guide line should be similar to a big letter Z that's tilted. To the right, draw a long, vertical line that bends a bit at the bottom as a guide for the pointer's other front leg.

 

Step 7: Under the second circle, draw another long, angled line as a guide for the first hind leg. This line should bend twice in the middle to indicate the joints and then again at the bottom for the dog's foot. To the right, draw another angled line that slopes to the right as a guide for the pointer's other hind leg. Pay attention to how the line bends.

 

 

Step 8: Draw two lines that connect the head to the body to create the guide for the pointer's neck. Draw two lines that connect the first two circles to complete the guide for the body. Notice the slope on the bottom line. On the top, right side of the body, draw a horizontal line as a guide for the dog's tail.

 

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

 

 

Step 9: Inside the head, near the top, left side, lightly sketch a small circle for the eye. When you get the size and position of the eye right, darken the lines. The right side should be pointy. Inside the eye, near the top, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. Below, add a dot for the pupil. Above the pointer's eye, draw a small, curved line for the eyelid. Draw a tiny, curved line on the lower, left side for the corner of the eye. Draw a curved line underneath. Shade the inside of the dog's eye using a dark value. Draw a curved line at the top for the brow.

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Step 10: Lightly sketch a curved line at the tip of the muzzle for the dog's nose. Follow the guide as you darken the front of the nose. Make the shape more angular. Follow the initial curved shape on the right and curve the line inward as you darken it to create the nostril. Make the bottom part of the pointer's nose longer and pointier than the initial sketched line.

 

Step 11: Follow the basic path of the initial arc to create the shape of the pointer's muzzle. Draw a line under the nose for the bottom part of the muzzle. Then curve the line to the right. This line will become the mouth, and it should end at the edge of the circle for the head. Make the line thick at the tip. Underneath, draw a curved line for the loose skin on the dog's lower jaw.

 

 

Step 12: Use the angled shape on the right as a guide to draw the pointer dog's ear. Follow the path of the guide but make the lines curvier as you darken them for a more organic look. Inside the shape, draw a few curved lines for extra detail on the folds of skin.

 

Step 13: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the rest of the pointer's head. Draw an extra curved line to the left of the eye for the brow. Make the top of the dog's head flatter than the circle. Add a line at the bottom for the lower part of the head but don't overlap the shape of the ear.

 

 

Step 14: Use the angled, Z- shaped line under the body as a guide to draw the pointer dog's first front leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. This leg is raised, so the right side should be pointy as the joint bends. Make the top part of the leg wide and curved to emphasize the dog's muscle structure.

When you get the shape of the pointer's leg right, darken the lines. The shape of the leg should gradually become thinner the farther down it goes. At the bottom, draw the big paw facing up using a series of curved lines. Use curved lines at the bottom to separate the toes and for the paw pad higher up.

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Step 15: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the dog's other front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide. Bend the leg at the joint and make the paw curvier. Draw a curved line at the tip of the paw at the bottom for the toes. Darken the rest of the pointer's leg when you get the shape right.

 

Step 16: Use the angled line to the right as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Just like before, follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. The top of the leg should be wide. The leg should bend twice for the joints, and the paw should be curved at the bottom. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Draw a short, curved line at the tip of the paw to separate the dog's toes.

 

 

Step 17: Use the angled line on the far right side as a guide to draw the pointer's other hind leg. Draw this leg like the others. Sketch lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. The dog is in pointing position, so this leg should be stretched out and slope toward the right. Pay attention to how the shape curves in the middle to create the stretched-out joints. The shape should be similar to the other hind leg, except it should be less curved. Add the toes at the bottom using a short, curved line. The top should almost touch the tail.

 

Step 18: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the pointer's body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guide lines to create the shape of the body. Don't overlap the shape of the front leg that's on this side of the body. Curve the bottom line inward for a thinner torso. Use the line at the top as a guide to draw the dog's tail. Draw the shape of the tail around the guide. The tip should be pointy.

 

 

Step 19: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

 

Final Step: Add some shading to your pointer 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. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

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

Add some spots throughout the pointer's body for a typical English pointer pattern. You can also skip this step for a white pointer dog. For this look, encircle an area around the eye and add a medium value to it. Shade the ear using a medium value too. For the pattern on the body, simply draw large random shapes and shade them in with a medium value. If you have a pet English pointer or a similar dog breed, try to duplicate its coat pattern on your drawing. Make the shadows darker to emphasize the muscle structure more.

Shading can be time- consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Add smaller spots throughout the dog's body. For a German shorthaired pointer, you have to completely cover the body in smaller spots. Continue to darken the shadows and add spots until you're happy with the result. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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