In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a West Highland White Terrier 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 a Westie 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 right side of the paper as a guide for the westie's head. First make four small marks to indicate its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a bottle cap 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: Draw a curved, horizontal line across the head to help you add the west highland white terrier's facial features later. Add a curved, vertical line on the top, right side of the head for another construction line.

 

 

Step 3: Draw a small circle on the bottom half of the head as a guide for the west highland white terrier's muzzle. Draw this circle between the horizontal construction line and the bottom edge of the westie's head.

 

Step 4: On top of the head, draw two small triangle-like shapes as guides for the westie's ears. Notice how high up on the dog's head these shapes are. Don't draw them too big.

 

 

Step 5: Below the head, draw a big circle as a guide for the front part of the westie's body. As you draw this circle, don't overlap the shape of the head at the top. Pay attention to the position and size of this circle in relation to the head. It should be only slightly bigger than the terrier dog's head.

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Step 6: On the left side, draw another circle as a guide for the back section of the dog's body. This circle should be smaller than the circle on the right. The edges of the two circles should touch.

 

Step 7: Under the circle on the right, draw two short lines as guides for the west highland white terrier's front legs. Bend the lines at the bottom so that they are similar to the letter L.

 

 

Step 8: Under the circle on the left, draw two more lines as guides for the westie's hind legs. These guides should slope to the left at the top and bend to the right at the bottom.

 

Step 9: Draw two lines that connect the body circles to complete the guide for the dog's torso. Curve the line at the bottom. Add a short line on the top, left side as a guide for the terrier's 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 dog's head as two small circles. Use the initial lines as guides for the size and position of the eyes. Darken the lines when you get it right. As you darken the eye on the left, make the sides pointier. When you darken the eye on the right, add some strokes on the left side for the fur that partly blocks the eye. Add some strokes along the edges of the eyes for short fur.

 

Step 11: Inside each eye, off to the side, draw a small circle to represent glare. In the middle of each eye, add a big dot using a dark value for the dog's pupils. Now shade the rest of the eyes using a medium value. To give the eyeballs a rounder look, use a dark value at the top and gradually make it lighter toward the bottom. Don't shade the inside of the tiny glare circles as you shade the westie's eyeballs.

 

 

Step 12: Inside the muzzle, near the top, lightly sketch a small circle for the west highland white terrier's nose. When you get the size and position of the nose right, darken the top part using short strokes. Darken the sides of the oval but curve the lines inward to create the nostrils. Make the curved lines for the nostrils thicker and darker. Darken the bottom edge. Inside the westie's nose, at the bottom, draw a short line.

 

Step 13: Below the nose, draw a series of short strokes for the fur covering the dog's mouth. Draw slightly bigger strokes toward the bottom, left side so that they touch the edge of the initial circle. Continue to add longer strokes toward the left side so that they form the wide shape of the furry muzzle. Sketch lightly at first to get the shape right. Follow the basic curvature of the initial circle. Turn the strokes to a more vertical orientation as you draw the top part of the west highland white terrier's muzzle. Curve the strokes back down along the right side of the initial circle. The strokes at the bottom should be longer. Add a line in the middle for the dog's lower lip.

 

 

Step 14: Use the triangle-like shapes on the head as guides to draw the terrier's ears. Use short strokes along the guides for the fur. Make the sides a bit wider than the guides. Add some strokes within the dog's ears too for the fur found there. The ear on the right should be slightly smaller than the one on the left because of the angle of the head.

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Step 15: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the westie's head. Draw a series of short strokes along the basic path of the circle to create the shape of the furry head. The shape of the head should be a bit wider than the initial circle, especially at the bottom. Add the left side of the head the same way. Use longer strokes near the bottom. Draw short strokes along the basic path of the small circle to create the dog's chin/jaw. Add a few short strokes within the head to emphasize the fur. The strokes start at the forehead and then curve down to the sides of the eyes.

 

Step 16: Use the second line from the right as a guide to draw the west highland white terrier dog's first front leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the leg right, darken the shape using short strokes for the fur. Add a couple of longer, curved lines at the bottom for the westie's toes. Use longer strokes on the left side for longer fur.

 

 

Step 17: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the westie's other front leg the same way. Only the front part of this leg is visible, so don't draw the left edge.

 

Step 18: Use the line on the far left side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the path of the guide. When you get the shape right , darken the lines. Use a series of long strokes along the sides of the leg for the dog's fur.

 

 

Step 19: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the visible part of the west highland white terrier's other hind leg.

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Step 20: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the westie's body. Draw a series of strokes along the outer edges of the guides to create the furry shape of the body. Use longer strokes along the underside of the body for the longer fur found there. Use longer strokes along the left side of the terrier's furry chest. Under the head, draw a shape similar to the letter V that's made up of short strokes to emphasize the neck. Draw a series of strokes around the line on the top, left side to create the shape of the west highland white terrier's tail.

 

 

Step 21: 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 west highland white terrier drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Use a medium value for the shadows and a darker value for the nose. Leave a strip along the top of the nose blank for shine. As you add the value, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and emphasizes the fur-like texture. 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.

Use longer strokes at the bottom for the longer fur found there. Westies are white, so don't overdo the shading. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw. Remember to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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

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