How to Draw a Yorkshire Terrier Dog
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Yorkshire Terrier Dog" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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 as a guide for the Yorkshire terrier's head. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on the right side for the rest of the dog's body.
Step 2: Draw two intersecting lines inside the Yorkshire terrier's head to help you place the facial features later on. Curve the lines so that they contour to the shape of the circle.
Step 3: Draw a smaller circle inside the bottom half of the head as a guide for the Yorkshire terrier's muzzle.
Step 4: On top of the head, draw two small arcs similar to triangles as guides for the Yorkshire terrier's ears.
Step 5: Draw two circles on the lower right side of the head as a guide for the Yorkshire terrier's body. The first circle should be placed with the top left portion behind the dog's head, so make sure the lines don't overlap. The second circle should be slightly smaller and should be placed right next to the first circle on the right side.
Step 6: Draw two short lines to connect the circle and complete the guide for the Yorkshire terrier's body. Add a small curved line on the right as a guide for the tail.
Step 7: Draw four short lines under the body (two below each circle) as guides for the Yorkshire terrier's legs. Bend the lines a bit to indicate where the dog's feet and the joints will be.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 8: Draw the eyes inside the Yorkshire terrier's head as circles using the lines as guides for placement. Add a tiny circle inside each eye, off to the side, to represent glare and a bigger dot in the middle for the pupils. Shade the rest of the eye except for the tiny circle that represents glare. When shading the eyes, use a value that's a bit lighter than the pupil. You can also use a slightly lighter value near the bottom of the eyeball for a rounder look. Add a few lines around the dog's eyes for extra detail. Add the corners of the eyes near the middle to create a more eye-like shape.
Step 9: Lightly sketch an oval inside the muzzle, near the top, for the Yorkshire terrier's nose. Darken the top part of the oval when you get the shape right. Darken the top part of the oval when you get the shape right. Add two smaller circles to the sides of the oval and shade them in for the nostrils. Make the bottom part of the dog's nose a bit pointier and add a small line at the top lip and near the top.
Step 10: Draw the top part of the Yorkshire terrier's muzzle by using the initial circle as a guide. Draw the mouth under the nose using a series of quick, short strokes to represent fur. Follow the basic path of the circle as you draw slightly longer strokes for the top part of the Yorkshire terrier's muzzle. The strokes or fur at the top should almost cover the eyes. The shape of the muzzle should be wider and taller than the initial circle.
Step 11: Draw a few quick, short strokes near the bottom edge of the circle for the furry chin. Add some lines above the Yorkshire terrier's nose too.
Step 12: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the Yorkshire terrier's head. Draw quick, short strokes along the basic path of the main circle to create the dog's furry head. You can use longer strokes for longer fur. The length of the strokes equals the length of the fur. Add a few strokes inside the head, above the eyes, for more texture.
Step 13: Use the triangle-like shapes on the head as guides to draw the Yorkshire terrier's ears. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the path of the guides. Add some strokes inside the shape as well.
Step 14: Use the lines on the left as guides to draw the Yorkshire terrier's front legs. Sketch the shape of the leg lightly as you follow the guide. Darken the lines when you get the structure right. Use quick, short strokes as you draw the shape of the dog's leg. Add a couple of tiny triangles at the bottom for the nails. Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the front leg on the other side. Sketch the leg lightly at first. Darken the lines using quick, short strokes only when you get the structure right.
Step 15: Now use the lines on the right side as guides to draw the Yorkshire terrier's hind legs the same way. Remember to sketch lightly as you follow the guide and only darken the lines when you get the structure right. The hind legs should be a little bit wider at the top than the dog's front legs. Now draw the hind leg on the other side by using the last line as a guide. Use quick, short strokes throughout for the fur.
Step 16: Use the initial lines and shapes as guides to draw the body. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the path of the guides to represent the Yorkshire terrier's fur. The longer you draw these strokes, the longer the fur will appear.
Step 17: Follow the path of the short guide line on the right to create the Yorshire terrier's tail. Surround the line with short strokes for a furry texture.
Step 18 (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 Yorshire terrier's 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. Add the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Continue adding the value until the entire body has the appropriate shadows.
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 dog drawing for extra detail. Yorkies can have a variety of patterns on their coats but for a standard Yorkie, use a medium value for the entire head. Use quick, short strokes that go in the general direction of the fur as you cover the head with the medium value. Don't worry about shading too smoothly. The rough value gives the coat a furry texture. The fur on the chest and feet should be a medium value as well, while the fur on the dog's back and tail should be darker. Alternate between a dark value and a light value as you add the strokes to give the texture of the fur more volume. Shading can be time-consuming, so be petient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. If you have a pet Yorkie or a similar breed, try to duplicate its pattern on your drawing. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.
Thanks for watching! Subscribe to the How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every Tuesday.
To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.