How to Draw a Cocker Spaniel Face

Cocker spaniels are lovable and cuddly and known as one of the greatest family dogs. Capture the tenderness of a cocker spaniel using this guide.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tortillions
• Drawing paper, such as Strathmore
• Artist pencils
• Mechanical pencil
• Erasers.

Drawing a Cocker Spaniel

1. 

   Draw a circle.

2. 

   Draw a cylinder to the bottom center left of the circle. The cylinder should almost be conical, with a wider base and a smaller, flattened tip. The flattened tip should be a circle instead of a point and be smaller in radius than the base. At the top of the base, add two lines that go down toward the smaller circle “tip.”

3. 

   Add two large teardrop shapes to the sides of the primary circle for ears. The wider top of the teardrop should be the lower portion of the ear.

4. 

   Draw a horizontal eye-leveling line slightly above the cylinder shown in step two. In the center of the horizontal eye line, add two opposite-facing parentheses [ ) (] lines that have a small space in the middle. These parentheses act as the bridge to the cocker spaniel’s snout.

5. 

   Draw the eyes and nose. The eyes are to be placed along the parentheses/bridge [ ) ( ] you created in step four and are almond-shaped. Add the pupils. Tip: Cocker spaniel pupils take up the majority of the dog’s eyes, giving them a sad and very expressive look. Tip 2: Dog pupils are not round but elliptical. The nose is on the upper middle portion of the smallest circle from step two. The nose is a rounded, upside-down triangle.

6. 

   Give the cocker spaniel some expression. Add eyebrows, which are sideways arches slightly above the eye and to the left and right of the nose bridge. The open ends of the arches should face up and out. Give the dog lips by creating a line down from the bottom center of the nose; split the center line and make it go left and right and curve up. TIP: You can make the left and right lines and the upward curve each go as far up as you want; these lines can help vary the degrees of your dog’s “smile.”

7. 

   Add the dark fur tones. Underneath the dog, give the cocker spaniel a black mustache. Add some dark curls on the cocker spaniel’s head and ears. Vary the curl length and curl tightness. Cocker spaniels also have kinky “yarny” fur, so add some kinks here and there intermingled in the curls.

8. 

   Add the rest of the fur. Vary fur lengths and pressure on the drawing tool to create lights, medium tones and dark fur. Keep the hair on the top of the head and the ears curly and “yarny.” If you need to add lighter fur, take your eraser and “lift” some curls where you feel lighter curls need to be.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that fur on the muzzle is shorter than fur anywhere else. After you have reached the desired look, you have successfully created your cocker spaniel face.