How to Draw a Dog (French Bulldog)
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Dog (French Bulldog)" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:
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 French bulldog's head. First make four small marks to indicate its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make mistake. 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 French bulldog'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 Frenchie's muzzle. Use the construction lines as guides for the circle's position. Pay attention to the size of this small circle in relation to the rest of the head.
Step 4: On top of the head, draw two arcs as guides for the ears. The arc on the right should be a bit smaller because the dog's head is slightly turned.
Step 5: On the lower, left side of the head, draw a big circle as a guide for the front part of the French bulldog's body. Make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width, and then connect the marks using curved lines. This circle should be just a little bit bigger than the head. Don't overlap the head at the top.
Step 6: On the left side, draw another circle as a guide for the back section of the dog's body. Draw this circle the same way as the others. This circle should be about the size of the head. The body circle should almost touch. Don't draw them too far away, or you'll end up with a dachshund!
Step 7: Draw two short lines that connect the head to the body to form the Frenchie's neck. Add two longer lines that connect the two bigger circles to complete the guide for the body.
Step 8: Under the circle on the right, draw two vertical lines as guides for the French bulldog's front legs. Bend the lines a bit to indicate where the joints and feet will be. Don't draw the lines too long.
Step 9: Under the circle on the left, draw two more lines as guides for the French bulldog's hind legs. These lines should bend farther to the left, at the top, than the lines at the front. At the top, these lines should bend farther to the left than the guides for the front legs.
That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.
Step 10: Lightly sketch the eyes inside the head as two small circles. Use the initial construction lines as guides for size and position of the eyes. When you get the size and position right, darken the shapes of the French bulldog's eyes. As you darken the shapes, make the sides a bit pointier for the corners of the eyes. Add some lines around the eyes for the eyelids and wrinkles.
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 for the Frenchie's pupils. Don't overlap the glare circles. Shade in the rest of the eye for the irises and be careful not to overlap the glare circles. As you shade the irises, use a value that's slightly lighter than the pupils. You can also use a slightly lighter value near the bottom to create a round effect. Draw a series of lines around the dog's eyes for fur. Break up these lines into shorter strokes for a fur-like texture.
Step 12: Lightly sketch a small oval where the construction lines meet for the nose. When you get the size and position of the nose right, darken the top part. Darken the sides of the oval but curve the lines inward to create the Frenchie's nostrils. Draw a couple of short, vertical lines that split the nose in half. Darken the bottom part using short strokes but make the shape pointier.
Step 13: Draw a short line under the nose for the top part of the French bulldog's mouth. The line then splits with one side going left and the other going right to create the jowls. The left side should slope down almost to the edge of the very first circle and then curve up. The right side should stretch all the way to the edge of the muzzle guide.
Step 14: Draw a curved line over the nose for the folded skin. Follow the path of the initial circle and darken the right edge for the muzzle. When you get to the bottom, use the big circle as a guide to complete the right side of the muzzle. Add a few short lines on the left side to complete the shape of the French bulldog's muzzle.
Step 15: Add a few wavy lines under the mouth to create the dog's lower jaw and chin. The lines should slope to the lower left side to form the wrinkly, loose skin on the neck. Add a series of short strokes near the top of the mouth for the fur below the Frenchie's lower lip.
Step 16: Darken the top edges of the initial small circle for more skin folds on the French bulldog's muzzle. Use a series of short strokes above the muzzle for the furry wrinkles on the forehead.
Step 17: Use the arc on the left side as a guide to draw the French bulldog's first ear. Darken the basic path of the arc but make the shape a bit wavier on the sides. Add a few lines and short strokes within the arc for the hair and inner ear structure. Use the arc on the right as a guide to draw the other ear the same way. Darken the shape of the arc but make the sides wavier, and then add the detail inside.
Step 18: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the dog's head. Use a series of quick, short strokes along the bottom of the ears for the furry base. On the right side, draw the lines closer to the eye to make the head skinnier. Draw a small bump above the eye for a heavy brow. Add a few lines on the lower, left side for the French bulldog's jaw. Add a few more strokes within the head for extra detail.
Step 19: Use the second line from the right as a guide to draw the first front leg. Follow the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. The top part of the Frenchie's leg should be wide and then gradually get thinner toward the bottom. Bend the overall shape where the guide bends for the joints in the leg. Add a couple of short lines at the bottom to separate the individual toes. At the tip of each toe, draw a small, triangle- like shape for the dog's nails.
Step 20: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the dog's second front leg the same way. Start by lightly sketching the shape of the leg around the guide line. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Bend the shape near the bottom to indicate where the foot starts. Add a curved line for the French bulldog's toes at the bottom and a couple of small triangular shapes for the nails.
Step 21: Use the line on the far left side as a guide to draw the dog's first hind leg. Lightly sketch the leg around the guide. Bend the shape near the middle for the joint. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. The leg should be wide at the top and thin at the bottom. Add a short, curved line at the top for the loose skin that connects the leg to the body. At the bottom, draw a couple of lines to split the toes. At the tip of each toe, draw the dog's triangle-shaped nails.
Step 22: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the French bulldog's other hind leg the same way. Lightly sketch the leg around the guide and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. Bend the shape of the leg along the guide to indicate the joint. Draw the dog's visible toes at the bottom using curved lines. Add the triangle-shaped nails too.
Step 23: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the dog's body. Darken the outer edges of the guides to create the shape of the body. Add a few overlapping curved lines along the neck for the loose skin. If you made your initial guides too thin or wide, correct them now to give your dog the proper body shape. Add a few more lines within the body to emphasize the loose skin on the neck. On the top, left side, draw a short, curved overlapping line for the French bulldog's stubby tail.
Step 24: 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 French bulldog 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 ground the dog so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add even more value throughout your French bulldog drawing for extra detail. Frenchies have different types of coats, so you can shade yours however you'd like. For this fawn look, use a dark value on the muzzle, around the eyes and on the ears. Then use a medium value for the rest of the body. You can also skip this step for a white Frenchie. For a black French bulldog, use a dark value on the entire body.
As you shade the body, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Shading can be time- consuming, so be patient and take breaks. If you made the value on the body too dark, make the shadows darker too. If you have a pet Frenchie or a similar breed, try to duplicate its coat pattern on your drawing. Please pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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