Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Dog (Jack Russell Terrier)" 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 small circle as a guide for the Jack Russell terrier's body. First make four small marks to indicate its 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 another circle on the left the same way. This will be a guide for the back of the Jack Russell terrier's body. This circle should be slightly smaller than the first one. Don't draw the circles too far apart or your dog will look like a dachshund!

 

Step 3: Draw yet another circle on the top, right side as a guide for the head. This circle should be about one- third the size of the first one. Don't draw the head too high up , otherwise the dog's head will be too long.

 

Step 4: Draw a sloping horizontal line across the head to help you add the Jack Russell terrier'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, right side of the head as a guide for the Jack Russell terrier's muzzle. The top of this circle should touch the construction line, and the bottom should be outside of the head slightly.

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Step 6: Draw a small triangle on the top, left side of the head as a guide for the Jack Russell terrier's first ear. Draw a triangle-like, angled line on the top, right side for the visible part of the dog's other ear.

 

Step 7: Under the circle on the right, draw two vertical lines as guides for the Jack Russell terrier's front legs. Bend the lines in the middle and at the tip to indicate where the joints and feet will be.

 

Step 8: Draw two more lines under the circle on the left as guides for the dog's hind legs. These lines should angle backward a lot more than the front lines.

 

Step 9: Connect the circles using short lines to finish the guide for the body. Add a short line on the top, left side as a guide for Jack Russell terrier's the tail.

 

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

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Step 10: Lightly sketch the eyeballs inside the head as two small circles. Use the initial lines as guides for placement. The Jack Russell terrier's head is tilted, so the eye on the right will be higher. When you get the size and placement of the eyeballs right, darken the lines. Use a series of quick, short strokes around the eyes for the fur. Add a few more lines around the circles to create the outer shape of the eyes.

 

Step 11: Inside each eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. In the middle of each eye, draw a big dot for the pupils. Shade in the rest of the Jack Russell terrier's eyes. Don't overlap the tiny glare circles. As you shade the irises, use a value that's slightly lighter than the pupils. You can also make the top portion of the iris a bit darker than the bottom. Add a few quick, short strokes to emphasize the fur on the dog's brows.

 

Step 12: Draw the Jack Russell terrier's nose inside the muzzle by first lightly sketching a small oval. Place the nose on top of the bottom, right edge of the head circle. Darken the sides of the oval and curve the lines inward to create the nostrils. Draw a small vertical line at the bottom of the nose and use quick, short strokes for the fur at the top. Darken the rest of the oval and add an extra pointy line at the bottom.

 

Step 13: Draw the mouth under the nose using a series of quick, short strokes. The mouth should consist of a sloping line that's broken up. Draw quick, short strokes along the basic path of the small circle to create the muzzle. The left side of the muzzle should be a bit wider than the initial circle. The longer you make these strokes, the shaggier the Jack Russell terrier's fur will be. The strokes on top of the muzzle should overlap the eye on the right a little bit.

 

Step 14: Use the triangle-like shapes on the head as guides to draw the Jack Russell terrier's ears. Darken the basic path of the initial triangle but make the shape more curvy and wavy. Darken the visible portion of the dog's other ear as well.

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Step 15: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the head. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the basic path of the circle to create the furry shape of the Jack Russell terrier's head. Make the right side of the head a bit narrower than the initial circle. Remember to make the strokes longer if you want shaggier fur. Add more strokes inside the head to emphasize the furry texture.

 

Step 16: Use the second line from the right 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 lines. Use quick, short strokes mainly along the left edge of the leg for the fur. Use tiny triangle- like shapes at the tip of the foot for the nails.

 

Step 17: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the second front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide. Darken the lines when you get the shape right. Make the bottom part wider for the foot and add the visible nails as triangle-like shapes.

 

Step 18: Use the line on the far left 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 using quick, short strokes. The Jack Russell terrier's hind legs bend backward a lot more than the front legs. The hind legs should also be wider at the top than the front legs.

 

Step 19: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the dog's other hind leg the same way. Most of this leg is hidden behind the other hind leg, so only draw the bottom half.

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Step 20: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the Jack Russell terrier's body. Use quick, short strokes along the outer edges of the initial guides. Use slightly longer strokes along the bottom for the furry underside. You can also make the strokes longer if you want the fur to be shaggier. Use quick, short strokes around the line on the top, left to create the shape of the dog'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 Jack Russell terrier 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 the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want.

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 Jack Russell terrier drawing for extra detail. Make the nose darker and add two dark patches around the eyes. You can also skip this step entirely for an all-white Jack Russell terrier. The dark value around the eyes should spill over and cover the ears as well. Leave a narrow strip across the forehead blank.

This dog breed can have a variety of patterns on its coat, so add some dark patches on the body. As you shade the body, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and creates a furrier texture.

Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's also a good idea to use reference as you draw. If you have a pet Jack Russell terrier or a similar dog breed, try to duplicate its coat on your drawing. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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