In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Shiba Inu 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 a Shiba Inu 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 as a guide for the front part of the shiba inu 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, trace the outer rim of a small lid, a coin or any other object with a circular edge. 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 shiba inu'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 top, left side, draw another circle as a guide for the dog's head. Draw the circle using the four-marks method too. This circle should be about half the size of the first circle. The edges of this circle and the first circle should touch.

 

Step 4: Draw a curved, horizontal line across the head to help you place the shiba inu's facial features later. Add a curved, vertical line on the top, right side of the head for another construction line.

 

 

Step 5: Draw a small circle on the bottom half of the head as a guide for the shiba inu's muzzle. Pay attention the size of this circle. A bit of it should stick outside the shape of the head.

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Step 6: On top of the head, draw two small, triangle-like shapes as guides for the ears. Pay attention to the size of the ears in relation to the shiba inu's head.

 

Step 7: Under the circle on the left, draw two long lines as guides for the shiba inu's front legs. Curve the lines a bit and bend them at the bottom to indicate where the feet will be.

 

 

Step 8: Under the circle on the right, draw two more lines as guides for the hind legs. Bend the lines near the middle to indicate where the joints will be.

 

Step 9: Draw two lines that connect the head to the body to form the guide for the dog's neck. Connect the first two circles using a couple of lines to finish the guide for the shiba inu's body. On the top, right side of the body, draw a curved line as a guide for the tail.

 

 

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

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Step 10: Lightly sketch the eyes inside the head as two small circles. When you get the size and position of the eyes right , darken the lines. The dog's eyes should be on top of the horizontal guide line and on either side of the vertical guide. Draw the sides of the eyes as pointy lines and shade them in with a dark value. The inner corners of the eyes should point down toward the muzzle. Add a few curved lines around the shiba inu's eyes for extra detail.

 

Step 11: Inside each eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. In the middle of each eye, add a big dot using a dark value for the dog's pupils. Shade in the rest of the eye using a medium value. Don't shade the inside of the tiny glare circles as you shade the eyeballs.

 

 

Step 12: Inside the muzzle, near the left side, lightly sketch a small circle for the shiba inu's nose. When you get the size and position of the nose right, darken the top part but make it wavier. Curve the sides of the nose inward and add a big dot at the end of each line for the dog's nostrils. Darken the bottom edge but make it pointier. Inside the nose, at the bottom, draw a short line.

 

Step 13: Under the nose, draw a line for the first part of the mouth. On the left side, curve the line up for the side of the muzzle. Use the initial circle as a guide. On the right side, stretch the line toward the edge of the initial circle to complete the shiba inu's mouth.

 

 

Step 14: Draw a line from the nose to the eye on the left for the top part of the shiba inu dog's muzzle. Use the lower edge of the initial circle as a guide to draw the chin. Follow the basic path of the initial circle and darken the edge to create the chin. Stretch the line farther to the right to also create the rest of the lower jaw.

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Step 15: Darken the triangular shape on the top, right side of the head to create the first ear. Draw a series of short strokes along the bottom and inside the ear to represent fur. Now draw the shiba inu's ear on the left side the same way. Darken the initial shape and then add a series of short strokes along the bottom and inside for fur.

 

Step 16: Darken the edges of the initial big circle to create the shape of the head. As you darken the sides of the shiba inu's head, make the shape a bit wider than the initial circle. Use a series of short strokes when you darken the side for a fur-like texture. Add a few short strokes inside the dog's head for extra detail on the fur.

 

 

Step 17: Use the second line from the left as a guide to draw the dog's first front leg. Follow the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. The leg should be thin and the foot wide. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Separate the toes on the foot using curved lines. Add small, triangular shapes on the tips for the shiba inu's nails. Angle the left edge of the leg at the top and bottom to indicate the joints.

 

Step 18: Use the line on the far left as a guide to draw the other front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the visible part of this leg around the guide. Use the first leg as a template. Darken the lines when you get the shape right. On the tip of the foot, draw a couple of small triangular shapes for the shiba inu's nails.

 

 

Step 19: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the shiba inu's first hind leg. Lightly sketch the leg around the guide and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. The top of the hind leg should be wider than the top of the front leg. Separate the individual toes using curved lines and add the nails at the tips using small triangular shapes. The leg should bend a lot more near the middle for the joint.

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Step 20: Use the last line under the shiba inu's body as a guide to draw the other hind leg. A big part of the top of this leg will be behind the first hind leg, so you don't have to draw it. Don't forget to add the toes and nails at the bottom!

 

Step 21: Draw a series of short strokes along the outside of the curved line on top of the body to create the shiba inu's tail. The tail curls and rests on the body. Follow the path of the guide but make the shape of the tail wider. The strokes should meet the end of the guide in the middle, then curl back out a bit for the tip of the dog's tail.

 

 

Step 22: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the shiba inu's body. Darken the outer edges of the initial guides and don't overlap the tail or the legs that are on this side. Use longer strokes on the bottom and on the right side of the body for longer fur.

 

Step 23: 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 drawing for the distinctive shiba inu coat pattern. Use a dark value for the inside of the ears and nose. Leave a blank strip at the top of the nose for shine. Use a medium value for the top of the head but leave the area around the dog's eyes blank. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Add some dots to the dog's muzzle for the base of the whiskers. Leave the bottom half of the head blank. Add a medium value to the body except for the chest, tail, underside and inner legs. Shiba inus have a soft, sleek coats, so use smooth strokes as you shade and avoid a rough texture.

Make the dog's coat slightly darker at the top and gradually transition to a medium value along the middle and bottom. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate shiba inu dog.

Add some shadows to your shiba inu 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 to ground the dog so it doesn't appear to be floating. Continue to add more value throughout the shiba inu's body 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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