How to Draw a Pitbull

Reviewed by Jeanine Hattas Wilson

Last Updated: February 1, 2019

If you're stepping up your dog drawing game by practicing particular breeds, the pitbull is a good one to try. Start with step one, below.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Drawing the Eyes, Nose, and Facial Structure

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1
Draw two angled almond-shapes starting near the center of the page, exaggerating the corners where the curves meet. They should be loose reflections of one another and be mostly symmetrical.
- Leave a space of between 2 and 3 eye widths between the eyes to display the wideset-nature of pitbull heads.
Leave a small portion outside of each circle within the almond.

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3
Draw a small circle in the center of each eye, leaving a sliver out of each circle in the same direction.
- These will form the pupils of the dog.
- The inner circles should resemble Pacman shapes
The curves should start under the inner sides of each eye, and gradually slope to the outside direction, about half the width through the eye.
Three-quarters down each curve, in the center between the two curves, draw a slightly-widened half circle to start the nose, leaving the bottom portion of the circle open.
6
Draw small curved lines from each edge of the semicircle, making small, round lobes on the interior of the circle.
- These will form the nostrils
7
Draw curves coming off each lobe towards the center of the nose, a parabolic shape on either side of the nose.
- These will shape the septum.
8
Reflect the top portion of the nose horizontally, to enclose the nose and form tear-drop shapes on either side of the center of the nose.
- Do not make the bottom portion as smooth as the top portion. Form a trough in the center to provide a more organic look
9
Draw curved lines on the bottom center of the nose, curving outward to either direction from a straight-line center.
- These will act as creases, to further enhance and round the nose
10
Continue a straight line, about two-thirds of the height of the nose, down from the crease origin.
- This will form the cleft of the dog’s mouth.
11
Draw two, soft, gradual curves extending from the cleft, one in either direction. They should extended to the width of near the edges of each eye.
- The ending height of the curve should be the same height as the start of each curve (the bottom of the cleft).
- These will form the upper lip/whisker area of the dog.
12
Draw around 10 dots spread out on each side of the cleft, within the boundaries of the curves.
- They do not have to be symmetrical, as these act as the whisker holes
13
In the middle between the two eyes, starting near the top of the eyes, draw a rounded Y that is roughly the same size as the nose.
- This acts as the forehead wrinkle, a characteristic of many pitbulls.
14
Draw a few accenting lines above and below each eye. They should loosely follow the curvature of the eye’s shape.
- These add character and help add to the rough look of pitbulls, as well as demonstrate the bony, muscular detailing in their facial structure.
15
Starting from the outer edge of each eye, and the height of the curvature of the nose bridge, draw one parabolic, soft curve on each side of the dog’s face.
- These help outline the strong cheekbones on pitbulls.
They should be about one-third the width of the eyeballs in size.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Drawing the Ears and Head Shape

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1
Draw a curved line on either side of the face, extending from the height of the corner of each eyeball down to just below the curves of the whisker area.
- These will form the strong, jutting cheek bones of the dog, and help to encompass the features of the face.
These lines should be relatively straight.
It does not need to follow a very specific shape, but instead must feature a few slight curves, to form the top of the head and forehead.
They should end near the edges of the forehead burrow, but shouldn’t touch the line.
Draw accenting lines around the ears, and end them with curves that reach outwards towards the inner base of the ears (near the furrow).

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Drawing the Mouth, Jaw, and Personal Touches

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2
Draw the lower portion of the mouth extending from the whisker area, leaving a gap in the middle to draw the tongue.
- The shape should replicate the shape drawn for the bottom of the nostrils, but on a wider scale.
Draw the tongue by starting with two connected curves in the middle of the mouth hole that look like reflections of the curves in the whisker area.
Extend the tongue down past the mouth with straight lines, touching each side of the gap you left open, and ending with a U-shaped curve.
7
Draw a third curved line extending from the jowls to three-quarters of the way down the tongue, connecting the bottom jaw, but not going through the tongue.
- This will form the chin of the dog.
Draw a rounded line from either side of the chin that passes underneath the chin and behind each spike, connecting to make a collar.

Community Q&A

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Question

Why are there so many wrinkles? My pitt doesn't have any wrinkles.

Community Answer

It is just the artists rendition of a pitbull. If yours doesn't have as many wrinkles you can feel free to draw it how you would like. With all, some or no wrinkles.

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Question

Why does the example image have spikes around the pitbull?

Community Answer

It's a collar, but you don't have to put spikes in your image if you don't want to.

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Question

Why is the nose pink?

Community Answer

Some pit bulls have pink noses, especially the white ones. You can color the nose whatever shade you like.

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Tips

A #2 wooden pencil would be best for drawing because the rounded lead helps add to the organic shapes of the dog and help eliminate sharp edges

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A pen or other writing utensil would also work, but it is best to be able to erase any possible mistakes

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The size/color of the paper does not matter, so long as you use the same size ratio to fit the paper

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Avoid drawing spikes on the dog's collar if you don't want to perpetuate stereotypes about pitbulls being violent or mean dogs.
Drawing very light circles to start can help you proportion better, especially if you're a beginning artist.
Go over the lines of the final drawing with a Sharpie if you want them to look bold and crisp.

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