Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Labrador Retriever Dog (Head Detail)" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

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 big circle as a guide for the Labrador retriever dog's head. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines to create the shape of the circle. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a glass, a bowl 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 long, curved, horizontal line across the circle to help you place the Labrador retriever's facial features later. On top of the horizontal line, near the left side, draw a shorter, curved, vertical line for another guide.

 

 

Step 3: Draw a small circle on the lower, left side as a guide for the Labrador retriever's muzzle. Use the four-marks technique to draw this circle too. Place it directly below the horizontal guide. The lower, left side of this circle should be outside the edge of the big circle.

 

Step 4: Add the guide for the dog's first ear by first drawing a long, vertical line on the right side. At the top, draw a line that slopes diagonally to the right. Pay attention to the length of these lines. Draw a line at the bottom that connects the first two lines to create a big triangle and finish the guide for the Labrador retriever's ear.

 

 

Step 5: On the left side, draw a long, angled line as a guide for the Lab's other ear. The head is blocking most of this ear, so don't draw the whole triangle guide.

---

 

Step 6: Draw a couple of short lines below the head as guides for a bit of the dog's neck.

 

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

 

 

Step 7: Lightly sketch the dog's eyes inside the head as two small circles. The eyes should be sitting on top of the horizontal guide line and on either side of the vertical guide line. When you get the position and size of the Labrador retriever's eyes right, darken the lines. The eye on the left should be a bit smaller than the eye on the right because the head is slightly turned.

As you darken the eye on the right, make the sides longer and pointier. For the eye on the left, only the right corner of the eye should be prominent because of the way the dog's head is turned. Add a curved line above and below each eye for extra detail. Break up these curved lines into short strokes for a fur-like texture.

 

Step 8: Inside each of the dog's eyes, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. You can draw an extra tiny glare circle inside the eye on the right for extra detail. Inside each eye, draw a small circle and shade them for the pupils. Don't overlap the tiny glare circles as you shade in the pupils. Use a dark value for the pupils but don't push down too hard on your pencil or you might tear the paper.

Draw a few more lines inside each eye to emphasize the shape of the eyeball. Draw a couple of curved lines inside each eye, near the bottom edge. The eye and eyeball on the left side should be narrower because of the way the head is turned. Draw a series of curved lines made up of short strokes above each eye to create the Labrador retriever's furry brows.

 

 

Step 9: Inside the circle guide for the Lab's muzzle, lightly sketch a small oval for the nose. Place this oval on the left side, right on the edge of the main circle that's a guide for the head. When you get the size and position of the oval right, darken the top edge first. Make the lines for the sides of the oval curve inward to create the nostrils. Make the tips of the curved lines darker and thicker to emphasize the dog's nostril openings.

Add a vertical line at the bottom that splits the Labrador retriever's nose lower section of the nose in half. The nostril on the right should be a bit bigger than the one of the left because of perspective. Don't make the nostrils too big, otherwise your dog might start looking like a pig! Use short strokes as you darken the bottom edge of the nose.

---

 

Step 10: Add the top part of the Labrador retriever's muzzle by first drawing a small line under the nose. Follow the lower edge of the initial big circle and draw the right side of the top lip as a wavy line. The lip should end inside the small initial circle. On the left, draw a smaller line for the rest the top lip. Curve the line on the left up to create the bottom edge of the top lip on the left. Use the left edge of the small initial circle as a guide to create the shape of the retriever's muzzle. Darken the top, left side of the small initial circle above the nose to finish the top part of the muzzle.

 

Step 11: Draw the lower lip/chin under the mouth using a series of curved lines. Make the chin stay within the shape of the small initial circle. Don't draw it too low. Add long, curved lines on the sides for the Labrador retriever's droopy lower lips. The whole shape of the muzzle shouldn't extend outside of the small initial circle too much.

 

 

Step 12: Use the big triangle on the right side as a guide to draw the Labrador retriever's first ear. Follow the basic path of the guide but use short strokes as you darken it for a fur-like texture. Make the bottom part of the ear wavier and wider than the guide. Add a few extra short strokes on the top left side for the furry folds of the dog's ear.

 

Step 13: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the dog's head. Follow the basic path of the circle but make the top part flatter as you darken the lines. Use short strokes along the way to create a fur-like texture. Make the left side of the head more narrow than the edge of the initial circle. The line right next to the eye should bulge out a bit for more structure. Use short strokes to darken the lines under the head and create a bit of the Labrador retriever's neck.

 

 

Step 14: Use the angled line on the left as a guide to draw the retriever's other ear. Draw a long, vertical line at the top that's made up of short strokes for the base of the ear. Then follow the path of the guide but make the lines wavier. The bottom tip of the dog's ear should be thin and extend outside of the guide a bit.

---

 

Step 15: Draw a series of short strokes within the shape of the head to emphasize the Labrador retriever's fur. Use short strokes above the eyes for the brow to make the face more expressive. Add some under the eyes and on the sides of the face for more skeletal structure. Don't overthink adding the strokes; they're just short lines arranged in different shapes. Draw some short strokes on the right side, below the ear, for the fur on the dog's neck. Add some short strokes under the muzzle to create vertical lines for the loose skin on the throat.

 

Step 16: 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 Labrador retriever drawing for extra detail. Shade the dog's eyes using a value that's slightly lighter than the pupils. Use a medium value for the nose too. Use a lighter value at the top of the nose to create a stripe to represent shine. If you'd like, you can stop shading after the nose for a white Labrador. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Shade the rest of the retriever's head using a value that's slightly lighter than the nose. Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and emphasizes the fur-like texture. As you shade, use strokes that go in the general direction of the dog's fur. Above the eyes, the strokes should curve to the sides from the middle. This process can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. The strokes on the dog's muzzle should start at the nose and radiate outward to the sides. Use a darker value for the section on the muzzle below the nose.

You can also simply add a medium value all over instead of the strokes for a simpler Labrador retriever drawing. Use a sightly darker value to create some shadows on the head. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. When you add the shadows, add the value smoothly instead of using separate strokes like the fur. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent throughout. Add the value lightly at first, and then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want.

Add some dots on the dog's muzzle, under the nose for the base of the whiskers. You can add some long lines for whiskers, but Labs tend to have white whiskers. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. If you have a pet Labrador retriever or a similar dog breed, try to duplicate its fur on your drawing. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

Thanks for visiting! Subscribe to the How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every week.

To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

 

RELATED TUTORIALS