How to Draw a Cartoon Dog

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This tutorial will show you six different and interesting ways to draw a cartoon dog. Let’s start!

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Method 1
Method 1 of 6:

Draw Cartoon Dog Facing the Front

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  1. Step 1 Draw a big circle and two small overlapping circles at the bottom.
  2. Step 2 Draw two slightly curved and slanted lines that is slightly curved on the bottom attached to each small circle.
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  3. Step 3 Sketch a straight horizontal line at the bottom and draw two half circles in front and another two behind.
  4. Step 4 Add another curved line at the back on each side.
    At the right side you can add a perked up tail.
  5. Step 5 Sketch the face by tracing the shape of the three circles.
    Add the ears pointed down on each side.
  6. Step 6 Sketch the face using two small circles for the eyes and two small curved lines for the brows and an oblong for the nose.
  7. Step 7 Sketch the forelegs using two parallel lines and another two parallel lines inside the half circle for the paws.
    You can add a collar for design.
  8. Step 8 You can sketch the same small lines for the hind leg’s paws.
  9. Step 9 Erase unnecessary lines.
    Add some shading to the eyes and nose, leaving a small white circle in each of them.
  10. Step 10 Color the drawing.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 6:

Cartoon Dog Facing the Side

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  1. Step 1 Draw a circle.
    Add a two curved lines with a pointed angle at the beginning for the dog’s cheekbones. Add a curved line on the right side of the circle extending through the cheekbones.
  2. Step 2 Draw an oblong for the neck and an elongated shape for the body.
  3. Step 3 Add the forelegs using a straight line and another line with a pointed angle at the beginning.
    For the other leg you can just draw two straight lines.
  4. Step 4 Add the hind legs and the paws of the forelegs.
    The hind legs are not straight, instead it is drawn using curved lines to make the dog look like it is in a sitting position.
  5. Step 5 Add a curved shape for the tail.
  6. Step 6 Draw an oblong for the nose and triangles on each side of the head for the ears.
    Connect the triangles to the head using straight lines.
  7. Step 7 Add details to the nose to make it look protruding.
  8. Step 8 Draw the mouth and the tongue.
    In drawing the mouth, you can use a "U" like shape.
  9. Step 9 Draw an arched shape with a curved line as the base for the eyes.
    Draw three slanted lines for the lashes on each eye and a curved line for the brows.
  10. Step 10 Trace the shape of the head and ears from the outline.
  11. Step 11 Trace also the shape of the body and add the collar for design.
  12. Step 12 From the outline, trace all four limbs of the dog.
  13. Step 13 Add details to the paws, defining each "finger" using curved lines.
    Make sure each paw has four, except in one of the hind legs since in this drawing its other two "fingers" are covered.
  14. Step 14 Darken the pupils and erase unnecessary lines.
  15. Step 15 Color the drawing.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 6:

A Sitting Cartoon Dog

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  1. Step 1 Draw a big circle for the head and slanted smaller oblong for the body.
  2. Step 2 Then, sketch the nose and the mouth.
  3. Step 3 Add the face, the nose, the ears, the small horns, the eyes and the mouth.
    You can also experiment on the expressions and emotions of the cartoon.
  4. Step 4 Sketch the legs and the tail.
  5. Step 5 Draw the basic features of the dog.
    You can make it look furry, or fluffy as you like.
  6. Step 6 Finish the drawing by adding details like shadows and fur lines.
  7. Step 7 Color the dog.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 6:

A Standing Cartoon Dog

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  1. Step 1 Draw a big circle for the head and smaller oblong for the body connected to each other.
  2. Step 2 Add the guidelines for the face and draw a vertical line near the edge of the oblong near the head.
  3. Step 3 Add the mouth area and the ears.
  4. Step 4 Sketch the guidelines for the position of the dog.
  5. Step 5 Add the face of the dog.
    This is an example of an experimented expression. Since it is a cartoon, it is not limited by principles of realistic drawings.
  6. Step 6 Draw the basic outline of the dog.
  7. Step 7 Add more details like shadows and furs.
  8. Step 8 Color the dog as you like.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 6:

Profile-View Sitting Cartoon Dog

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  1. Step 1 Draw a circle for the outline of the head.
  2. Step 2 Add the outline sketch for the back of the dog.
  3. Step 3 Add another oval and a curved line for the outline sketch of the dog’s body.
  4. Step 4 Draw the outline sketch of the front legs and feet.
  5. Step 5 Add the hind legs and feet outline sketches.
  6. Step 6 Draw the outline sketch of the tail.
  7. Step 7 Draw the outline for the ears and snout.
  8. Step 8 Draw the actual lines for the head.
  9. Step 9 Add the actual lines of the neck.
  10. Step 10 Draw the actual lines for the body and the tail.
  11. Step 11 Add the front legs.
  12. Step 12 Continue drawing the actual lines for the hind legs.
  13. Step 13 Draw the front left feet.
  14. Step 14 Continue with the actual lines for the front right feet.
  15. Step 15 Finish drawing the actual lines for the feet and the collar.
  16. Step 16 Erase the unnecessary lines.
  17. Step 17 Fill in the basic colors.
  18. Step 18 Add the highlights and shadows.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 6:

Sleeping Cartoon Dog

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  1. Step 1 Draw the outline sketch for the head and body of the sleeping cartoon dog.
    Try to draw a figure that almost looks like a two cherries. One upward curved line and two ovals.
  2. Step 2 Draw the actual line of the sleeping dog’s head.
  3. Step 3 Draw a tail and a line for the back.
  4. Step 4 Add the hind leg and the paw.
  5. Step 5 Draw the actual lines for the front right feet and leg.
  6. Step 6 Add the left paw and the left front foot.
  7. Step 7 Erase the unnecessary lines.
  8. Step 8 Fill in the basic color.
  9. Step 9 Add the shadows.
  10. Step 10 Finish the coloring by adding the cast shadows.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    What could I use to color the sleeping dog like that?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You can do several things: a mixture of oil pastel colors, some nice markers like Prisma color, or some colored pencils would do the job! You can also use art software.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 27 Helpful 74
  • Question
    Why did my sleeping dog turn out looking like a rat?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Everything comes with practice, so don't worry about it too much. You can only improve your drawing skills by drawing the dog over and over again until it looks better.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
     Thank you for your feedback.
     If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 36 Helpful 78
  • Question
    How big do the circles have to be?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It depends on the size of the paper and the type of dog, but the head is usually smaller.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
     Thank you for your feedback.
     If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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Things You'll Need

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

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About This Article

Kelly Medford
Reviewed by:
Kelly Medford
Professional Artist
This article was reviewed by Kelly Medford. Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art. This article has been viewed 941,150 times.
24 votes - 58%
Co-authors: 87
Updated: August 10, 2023
Views: 941,150
Categories: Featured Articles | Drawing Dogs
Article SummaryX

If you want to draw a simple and cute cartoon dog, start by sketching a big circle in the center of the page and 2 smaller, overlapping circles at the bottom of the big circle. These circles are the foundation for the dog’s head and snout. Next, draw 2 slightly curved vertical lines extending from the smaller circles to create the outline of the dog’s body. Then, sketch 1 straight, horizontal line at the bottom along with 2 half circles in front of the line and another 2 half circles behind it to form the dog's bottom and feet. Add 2 curved lines in the back that meet at a point for the dog’s tail. Now that you have a basic outline in place, go back up to the head and trace around the 3 circles to create the outline of the dog’s face. Add a small, downward-pointing ear on each side of the dog’s head. Sketch 2 small circles inside the face for the eyes and add 2 short, curved lines for the brows and oblong nose. Sketch the forelegs using 2 parallel lines and add another 2 parallel lines inside the half circles to add detail to the dog’s paws. Feel free to add any other details you’d like, like a collar or shading around the dog's eyes and nose. Then, erase all the unnecessary lines and color the drawing with crayons or markers. To learn how to draw a cartoon dog facing the side or sitting down, keep reading!

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