Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a St. Bernard" 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 two circles as guides for the St. Bernard's body. First draw some marks for the height and width of the circle, then connect the marks using curved lines. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. If you do want a perfect circle, trace the outer rim of a glass, a coin or anything else circular.

The circle on the left should be smaller than the one on the right. Don't draw the circles too far apart, otherwise your St. Bernard will be too long. Leave enough room on the sides and bottom for the dog's head, tail and legs.

 

Step 2: Draw a square on the top, right side as a guide for the St. Bernard's big, blocky head. First draw four marks to indicate the height and width of the square, then close the shape using straight lines. The square should have rounded corners and be slightly tilted to the left.

 

Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines (one vertical and one horizontal) inside the head. These are construction lines that will help you place the St. Bernard's facial features later on.

 

Step 4: Draw a small triangle on the top, left side of the head as a guide for the St. Bernard's ear. First draw a short, somewhat vertical line on the top, left side of the dog's head. Then add an angled line, similar to a less-than sign (<), to the left.

 

Step 5: Draw four lines under the St. Bernard's body (two below each circle) as guides for the legs. Slightly bend the lines for the front legs near the bottom for the joints and at the tips for the feet. Bend the lines for the hind legs closer to the middle. St. Bernards are big dogs, so the lines should be pretty long.

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Step 6: Draw a series of curved lines that connect the major shapes to form the rest of the dog's body. Add another line on the left side of the body as a guide for the St. Bernard's tail.

 

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

 

Step 7: Lightly sketch the St. Bernard's eyes inside the head as two small circles. Use the lines inside the head as guides for the eyes' placement. Darken the shape of the eye by first drawing a wavy line at the top. Then draw a diamond- like shape underneath. Draw a similar shape on the right side for the other eye. St. Bernards have small eyes relative to their heads, so don't draw them too big.

Add a tiny half-circle inside each eye for the dog's irises. Shade the irises except for a tiny circle to represent glare. Draw a wavy line over each eye for the droopy eyelids. Add a few more lines around the eyes for extra detail. Use a series of short strokes above each eye to represent the St. Bernard's fur.

 

Step 8: Lightly sketch an oval under the horizontal construction line, on the right side, for the St. Bernard's nose. When you get the placement and shape right, darken the top and sides of the nose. Add two big dots inside the dog's nose for the nostrils and connect them to the outer edges using curved lines. Add the lower part of the nose but make the edge dip lower. The lower edge should be similar to the letter V with a short line through the middle.

 

Step 9: Draw the top part of the St. Bernard's muzzle using a series of curved lines. First draw a line that starts right under the nose , and then curves toward the left and ends near the lower tip of the dog's ear. Sketch the line lightly at first and darken it only when you get it right.

Follow the path of the initial square to draw the right side of the top of the St. Bernard's muzzle. Add a short line above the nose, near the eye on the right. Draw the tongue in the empty space between the dog's upper lips. First draw a V-shaped line at the top, then a U-shaped line at the bottom.

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Step 10: Now draw the dog's droopy lower lips using a series of curved lines under the lip on the left side. First draw a curved line under the St. Bernard's top lip on the far left side. Then draw another curved line underneath but give the line a few bumps along the way. The last line should connect to the top lip on the left side. Add some extra short lines within the shape.

 

Step 11: Use the bottom edge of the main square as a guide to draw the St. Bernard's lower jaw. Add a couple more lines for the extra loose skin of the lower lips. Add the dog's chin under the tongue as a curved line that's made up of quick, short strokes to represent fur. Draw a curved line on the left side for the hanging jowls.

 

Step 12: Use the triangle on the left side as a guide to draw the St. Bernard's ear. Follow the basic path of the triangle as you darken the shape but use quick, short strokes for furry texture. Make the shape of the ear more rounded as you follow the basic path of the triangle. Add a few more quick, short strokes within the shape of the ear for more detail on the fur. Draw the dog's other ear using the right edge of the square as a guide. The head is blocking most of it, so only draw the visible portion.

 

Step 13: Use the initial square as a guide to draw the rest of the St. Bernard's head. Follow the basic path of the square but make the shape of the head rounder. Use quick, short strokes as you darken the shape of the head for a furry texture. Add some extra lines inside the head, under the eye, for the folds of skin. Draw a couple of curved lines under the dog's head that are made up of quick, short strokes for the loose skin or dewlap.

 

Step 14: Use the lines on the right side of the dog's body as guides to draw the front legs. Lightly sketch the shape of the legs as you follow the path of the guide lines. The legs should be a bit wider at the top. Bend them near the bottom to indicate the joint. When you get the structure of the legs right, darken the lines using quick, short strokes. St. Bernards can have longer fur, so use longer strokes as you draw the shape of the leg for a shaggier coat. Add a couple of short, curved lines at the bottom to separate the individual toes. Draw the dog's front leg on the other side the same way.

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Step 15: Use the lines to the left as guides to draw the St. Bernard's hind legs. Start by lightly sketching the shape of the leg as you follow the basic path of the guide line. Once you get the structure of the leg right, darken the lines using quick, short strokes. Add a couple of curved lines at the tip of the dog's foot for the toes. Draw the hind leg on the other side using the last line as a guide. The top part of this leg is being blocked by the other hind leg, so only draw the visible bottom portion.

 

Step 16: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the St. Bernard's body. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the guide lines and darken the shape of the body. Use longer strokes if you want your St. Bernard to have longer fur. Use the line on the left side as a guide to draw the dog's tail. Use longer strokes for a shaggier tail.

 

Step 17 (optional): 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 that you may have accidentally erased.

 

Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your St. Bernard 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. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The rough value gives the dog's coat a shaggy texture.

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 drawing for extra detail. St. Bernards usually have big, brown patches around the eyes and on the ears, so use a dark value in these areas. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add an extra dark value around the eyes and on the nose. Shade a bit of the front part of the muzzle and add some spots of varying sizes too. Draw the outline of a pattern using quick, short strokes across the back of the body. Shade inside the outline using a medium value. Use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw. If you have a St. Bernard or a similar breed, try to duplicate its coat on your drawing! Remember to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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