How to Draw a Dog (Chow Chow)
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Dog (Chow Chow)" 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 big circle on the left side of the paper as a guide for the chow chow's head. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling drawing the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a lid or any other object with a circular edge.
Step 2: Draw a curved, horizontal line across the head to help you add the chow chow's facial features later. Add a curved, vertical line on the top, left side of the dog's head for another construction line.
Step 3: Draw a small circle on the bottom half of the head as a guide for the chow chow's muzzle. Pay attention to the size and placement of this small circle in relation to the rest of the head.
Step 4: On top of the head, draw two small, triangle-like shapes as guides for the dog's ears.
Step 5: On the lower, right side of the head, draw a big circle as a guide for the front part of the chow chow'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 about twice as big as the head. Don't overlap the head at the top.
Step 6: Draw another big circle on the right as a guide for the back section of the dog's body. This circle should be big but not quite as big as the circle for the front part of the body. The edges of the body circles should touch. If you draw them far apart, your chow chow will turn into a dachshund!
Step 7: Under the big circle on the left, draw two vertical lines as guides for the chow chow's front legs. Bend the lines to indicate where the middle joints and feet will be. Don't draw the lines too long.
Step 8: Under the circle on the right, draw two more lines as guides for the dog's hind legs. Bend the lines near the middle to indicate the joints and at the bottom for the feet.
Step 9: Draw two lines that connect the big circles to complete the guide for the body. At the top of the body, draw a long, curved line as a guide for the chow chow's tail.
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 eyeballs inside the head as two tiny circles. Use the initial lines as guides for the size and placement of the dog's eyes. When you get the size and shape right, darken the lines but make the eyes flatter and the sides pointier. Add a few tiny lines at the top of each eye for the fur. Shade in the eyes except for a tiny circle to represent glare. Add a few short strokes above the eyes for the furry brows. Add some line s under the eye on the right too. The chow chow's muzzle will block the bottom of the eye on the left.
Step 11: Inside the small circle, near the left side, lightly sketch a n oval for the chow chow's nose. Pay attention to the size and placement of this small oval in relation to the eyes. When you get the size and shape right, darken the lines. Curve the sides inward to create the nostrils. Make the bottom pointier and add a small vertical line in the middle. Use short strokes to darken the top part and create a fur-like texture.
Step 12: Under the nose, draw a line that curves to the right for the first part of the chow chow's mouth. Sketch lightly at first, and then darken the line using short strokes for the fur. Notice how far to the right the line goes. Add another line that curves to the left for the other half of the mouth. Curve the line up and follow the path of the initial circle to create the shape of the muzzle. The line for the dog's muzzle should curve up toward the eye on the left.
Step 13: Under the mouth, lightly sketch a U-shaped line for the chow chow's tongue. Darken the line for the tongue. It should extend toward the bottom edge of the initial circle. Draw a curved line on the right for the gums. Add short strokes along the path of the circle for the chin.
Step 14: Draw short strokes along the path of the triangle-like lines on the head to create the dog's ears. Add a few more short strokes within the shapes for the fur inside the ears.
Step 15: Draw short strokes along the left edge of the initial big circle for the furry head. Draw a long, curved line over the ears that's made up of short strokes to create the top of the head. The strokes for the top of the head should end on top of the body way on the right side. Add more short strokes under the muzzle for the lower part of the chow chow's furry head. Continue to draw strokes around the initial circle to create a big oval made of fur. Leave a few gaps between strokes at the bottom. The end result should be similar to a lion's mane.
Step 16: Add a few more short strokes within the head for extra detail on the chow chow's fur. A series of short strokes around the eyes help emphasize the brows. Curve the strokes down to the cheeks. Add some strokes along the vertical construction line and on the right edge of the initial circle. Add some lines that are made up of short strokes along the bottom and left side too.
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. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the path using short strokes. At the bottom, draw short, curved lines for the toes and tiny triangle-like lines for the nails. The shape of the leg should be wide, especially at the top, because of the longer fur.
Step 18: Use the line on the far left side as a guide to draw the second front leg the same way. Follow the path of the guide and draw the shape of the leg around it using short strokes for the fur. The right side of this leg will be hidden behind the first leg. Don't forget to add the dog's toes and nails at the bottom!
Step 19: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the hind leg that's on this side of the body. Sketch lightly at first. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. The top of this leg should be so wide that it overlaps part of the guide of the other hind leg. Use quick, short strokes along the sketched path to create a fuzzy texture. At the bottom, draw the curved lines for the chow chow's toes and the tiny triangle-like lines for the nails.
Step 20: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the dog's other hind leg the same way. A big part of this leg is hidden behind the other hind leg, so only draw the visible portion.
Step 21: Use the curved line on top of the body as a guide to draw the chow chow's tail. Draw the shape of the tail around the guide using short strokes for the fur. The tail should be big and fluffy, and it should curl over the body and overlap it.
Step 22: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the chow chow's body. Use short strokes along the outer edges of the initial guides to create the body's furry texture. The longer you make these strokes, the shaggier the fur will appear. Add a few more strokes inside the body to emphasize the dog's 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 chow chow drawing for extra detail. Use a dark value for the nose and a medium value for the tongue and muzzle. Add some dots to the muzzle. Use a medium value on the head too. The strokes on the head should radiate outward from the middle. Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and creates a more fur-like texture. As you shade the dog's body, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur.
Use a darker value for the fur along the midsection for the body. Continue adding the value as short strokes until the dog's entire body is covered. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Use a darker value along the bottom to create shadows, and give the figure more volume and dimension. The chow chow's tail is pretty light, so just add a few strokes along the bottom to represent shadows.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the chow chow so it doesn't appear to be floating. If you have a pet chow chow or a similar dog breed, try to duplicate its coat on your drawing. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.
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