How to Draw a Dog Sitting at a Side Angle

The template for drawing a seated bulldog at a side angle can used for any breed

One of the cornerstone concepts of drawing is perspective, a technique that gives the viewer a sense of depth by adding realism to the art. When it comes to drawing animals, dogs specifically, the artist is limited only by their imagination, as the number of poses and breeds is seemingly endless. Drawing an English bulldog at an angle serves as an example, but you, the artist, can apply the basic method to the breed of choice.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencils
• Eraser
• Black ink

Instructions

1. Draw an egg-shaped oval in the center of your page, sized according to how large or small you wish your finished art to be. This oval serves as the dog's torso, and should be drawn so that the narrower end of the oval points slightly downward to the right side of the page. When completed, the dog will be seated with it's body facing slightly to the left while looking directly at the viewer.

2. Draw a square atop the upper left "corner" of the oval. Erase any overlapping lines, then erase the corners of the square and redraw them with a smooth contour to create the shape of the dog's head. When drawing other breeds, consider the shape of your subject's head (narrow like a greyhound or rectangular like a Basset hound).

3. Add a rainbow-shaped arc, going from left to right, through the middle of the head. Continue down into the oval body. This will serve to divide the body by showing the division between the animal's shoulders and it's mid-section and hind quarters. Continue the sides of the arc downward to denote where to create the dog's two front legs.

4. Add another line, a "half arc", by starting at the top righthand line of the oval and drawing downwards to the right. This arc should be shorter than the first arc you drew. Erase any overlapping lines. Draw in basic details of the dog, such as the eyes, ears, nose, etc. Consult a picture of the dog you're drawing to familiarize yourself with its features.

5. Add the hind legs: draw a line parallel from the oval that juts to the left, out from the right-side arc, starting in the middle of the oval. You should now have a drawing of a seated bulldog facing slightly away from the viewer, revealing the rest of the animal's body. Trace over the dog in black ink if desired to make the art stand out on the page.

References

• "Draw 50 Dogs"; Lee J. Ames; 1986