How to Draw German Shepherd Dogs

The completed German shepherd.

This alert German shepherd appears on guard and ready to step off the page. Let him do his job as a model and teacher by carefully following the directions listed here. His face and legs are angular, but the body is rounded and smooth, drawn with fluid motions. The key is to complete one step at a time, leaving finishing details until last.

Things You'll Need

• Paper (any plain smooth paper will suffice for practice) Two pencils -- one sharp, the other dull Clean eraser

Instructions

Drawing the German shepherd

1. 

   Sketch in the shape of the head, nose, ears, sloping back and chest, paying particular attention to the angles of the face and head. Add an eye with a few basic lines.

2. 

   Extend the dog's back and chest. Make lines smooth and flowing.

3. 

   Add the front legs and extend the belly. Note that the legs are positioned the same, with a slight bump for toe and bone structure at the end.

4. 

   Draw the outside back leg with a wide thigh and a rounded back end with a tail. For the leg make a flowing line to the foot.

5. 

   Add the inside back leg. Make it curve forward naturally at the bend.

6. 

   Add detail. Outline the patches where darker contrasting fur will be, define the ears and muzzle, divide the toes, and begin putting in shadow.

7. 

   Completely shade the patches of dark fur. Soften the long straight lines along the chest, belly, legs, and tail by adding short strokes to represent fur.

Tips & Warnings

• Cross-hatching (lines drawn in opposite directions on top of one another) creates a deeper layer and provides a way to add darkness rapidly. Keeping your strokes short, quick and fluid rather than stiff makes the process easier and creates a more realistic result.