How to Draw a Puppy

This tutorial will teach you how to draw a cute puppy.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

A Cute Cartoon Puppy

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    1
    Sketch an outline of the puppy’s head and body. Sketch an oblong with a slightly pointed angle on one side for the head and sketch a crossed line inside. Use an oblong for the body, make the rear part slightly thicker. Use a pencil to draw the outline so it will be easier to erase extra lines later.
  2. 2
    Draw an outline of the puppy’s ears and limbs.
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  3. 3
    Add the puppy’s tail. In this illustration, the tail is pointed up. Usually when dogs get excited or happy, they wag their tails or point it upwards.
  4. 4
    Using the cross on the face as a guide, draw the puppy’s eyes, nose and mouth. Take note that the dog’s nose is protruding so when drawing the nose in this view, position it slightly on the left.
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    5
    Darken desired lines from the outline of the face and body. You can add soft curved lines to make the puppy look furry.
  6. 6
    Add spots to the drawing, if you wish. It is common among dogs to have spots.
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    7
    Erase unnecessary lines from the outline.
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    8
    Color the drawing.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

A Puppy Sitting

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    1
    Sketch an outline of the head and body. Use a circle for the head with a crossed line inside and a vertical oblong shape for the body.
  2. 2
    Sketch an outline of the puppy’s limbs. Make the hind legs appear shorter since it is curled when sitting.
  3. 3
    Sketch a rough outline of the ears and tail.
  4. 4
    Using the crossed line, draw the puppy’s eyes, nose and mouth.
  5. 5
    Refine the drawing of the face and ears by adding random soft small strokes to make the puppy look furry.
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    6
    Sketch the rest of the body and use the same soft small strokes for a furry look.
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    7
    Erase unnecessary line from the outline.
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    8
    Color the drawing.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

A Cartoon Puppy: Sitting Position

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    1
    Sketch a circle and a semi-oblong. One for the head and another for the main part of the puppy’s body.
  2. 2
    Add the guideline where the center of the face will be, and the other parts such as feet and tail.
  3. 3
    Add the shape of the face, nose, and eyes.
  4. 4
    Draw the puppy’s main features. The puppy’s expression and accessories can vary to whatever you like.
  5. 5
    Add some details. Add the details like fur, details on the accessory, paws, etc.
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    6
    You could also add patches.
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    7
    Color the puppy.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

A Realistic Puppy: Front-View Running Position

  1. Image titled Draw a Puppy Step 24
    1
    Sketch the main body of the puppy as a small circle for the head and a big one for the body.
  2. 2
    Add the guides of the legs and the ears.
  3. 3
    Sketch the guide of the tail and the jaw.
  4. 4
    Add the shape of the feet and the paws.
  5. 5
    Add the guidelines of the face for the eyes, nose, and mouth.
  6. 6
    Add more detail of the face. Here, the tongue is drawn sticking out of the mouth. The eyes are sketched as small circles above the nose area.
  7. 7
    Draw the basic outline of the puppy. Erase the pencil marks. You could make the dog fluffy or not. It depends on you. Adding fur lines would be a great detail to add.
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    8
    Color the puppy.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I make the eyes?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Draw an almond shape where the eyes will be. Fill it in with the desired eye color, and make a big pupil. Add shine, which is done with a normal eraser.
  • Question
    How do I draw a dog sitting with a cocked head?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Turn its head a bit. From the top of the head, draw a roundish body and draw some paws in front of its head and some feet at the back and, of course, a tail.
  • Question
    How can I shade a picture to make it look more realistic?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You could add shading to the ground around the object as a shadow, to trick the brain into thinking the drawing is three-dimensional.
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Things You'll Need

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Eraser
  • Colored pencils, crayons, markers or watercolors

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About This Article

Tested by:
wikiHow Video Team
wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 90 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 388,432 times.
2 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 90
Updated: March 21, 2023
Views: 388,432
Categories: Featured Articles | Drawing Dogs
Article SummaryX

To draw a cartoon puppy, sketch the outline of the body and the head, using a slightly larger oblong circle for the head and a rounded rectangle-like shape for the body. Then, sketch the ears, limbs, and tail on the head and body. In the center of the head, draw the puppy’s eyes, nose, and mouth. Darken the lines that you want to keep, adding detail such as spots, a collar, or a leash, and then erase the lighter sketch lines. For more tips, like how to draw a sitting puppy, scroll down!

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