Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Border Collie" 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 two circles as guides for the border collie's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. Don't place the circles too far apart, otherwise your dog will end up too long. The circle on the right should be smaller than the first one and should be placed a little higher.
Step 2: Draw another circle on the top, left side as a guide for the border collie's head. This circle should be about half the size of the left circle from step 1.
Step 3: Draw two curved, intersecting lines inside the border collie's head to help you draw facial features later on.
Step 4: Draw an oval on the lower half of the head as a guide for the border collie's muzzle. Use the lines as guides for the oval's placement.
Step 5: Draw a U-shaped arc under the oval as a guide for the lower part of the border collie's open mouth.
Step 6: Draw two triangle-like shapes on the top of the border collie's head as guides for the dog's ears.
Step 7: Draw a series of lines that connect the major shapes to form the border collie's body. Draw a curved line on the right side for the tail.
Step 8: Draw four lines under the border collie's body as guides for the legs. Don't draw the lines too long, and bend them to indicate where the dog's leg 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 9: Lightly sketch the border collie's eyes inside the head using the lines as guides for placement. Darken the outline of the eyes more. The shape for the eyes should be similar to little footballs. Add a tiny dot in the middle of each eye for the pupils. Shade the inside of the eyes except for a small circle to represent glare. When you shade the dog's eye, use a value that's lighter than the pupil. Draw a few lines around the border collie's eyes for extra detail. The lines represent the skin and fur around the eyes. Use quick, short strokes above the eyes for the furry brow.
Step 10: Draw the dog's nose inside the muzzle by first lightly drawing an oval. Draw two big dots on the sides of the oval for the nostrils. Darken the bottom part of the nose and add a small vertical line at the bottom. Add a few quick, short strokes for the fur on top of the border collie's nose.
Step 11: Draw the first part of the mouth by using the initial oval as a guide. Darken the bottom part of the oval and curve the line up to form the top part of the dog's mouth. Follow the basic path of the U-shaped curve to draw the border collie's tongue. Add a line in the middle of the tongue.
Step 12: Draw the lower part of the border collie's jaw under the tongue. Follow the path of the guide as you darken the lines. Use quick, short strokes for the fur near the top.
Step 13: Draw a few jagged, pointy shapes on the right side of the tongue for the border collie's teeth. Draw a diagonal line above the nose to finish the dog's muzzle.
Step 14: Use the triangle-like shapes on the head as guides to draw the border collie's ears. Follow the basic path of the guides as you draw the ears using quick, short strokes for a furry look. Draw a smaller triangle-like shape inside each of the dog's ears using quick, short strokes for the inner structure. Some collies have floppy ears, so you can bend your dog's ears if you'd like.
Step 15: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the border collie's head. Use quick, short strokes as you draw the head. Dip in the line toward the dog's eye to create the side of the face. Use longer strokes on the side for the longer fur on the sides of the head. Draw a few strokes above the eyes for the pattern of fur on top. The fur along the neck is longer too, so use long strokes for it as well. Add a few more strokes above the nose for further detail on the coat's pattern.
Step 16: Use the lines on the left as guides to draw the front legs and feet. Lightly sketch the shape of the first leg as you follow the path of the line. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. Add a couple of curved lines at the bottom for the border collie's toes. Use longer strokes on the right side of the leg for the longer fur. Draw the front part of the foot on the other side by using the other line as a guide.
Step 17: Now use the lines on the right as guides to draw the dog's hind legs using the same technique. Follow the path of the guide as you lightly sketch the first hind leg. When you get the structure right, darken the leg using quick strokes. Draw the toes at the bottom. The leg should be wide at the top and thin at the bottom. Use the other line as a guide to draw the border collie's hind leg on the other side the same way.
Step 18: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the border collie's body. Follow the path of the guides as you darken the lines and create the dog's body. Use longer strokes for the long, shaggy coat at the bottom. Follow the path of the curved line on the right to draw the dog's furry tail.
Step 19 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of them. 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 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 too much about the shading if you're also going to add more value to your drawing.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the dog so it doesn't appear to be floating.
You can add more value throughout your border collie drawing for extra detail. Use a dark value all over the head except for the strip between the eyes and the nose for a classic border collie look. Add the value by using strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Add more detail to the dog's muzzle like whiskers and extra fur. Leave the withers and neck area mostly blank to achieve the standard border collie pattern. Add a darker value to the rest of the dog's body by pushing down harder on your pencil. Leave the tip of the dog's tail white.
Adding the value can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Use a lighter value on a few parts of the body to represent the shine of the dog's coat. If you have a collie or similar breed, try to duplicate its pattern on your drawing. It's always a good idea to use reference when you draw. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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