In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Xoloitzcuintle Mexican Hairless Dog step-by-step.

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To draw this Xolo Dog step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a circle near the middle of the paper as a guide for the front part of the xoloitzcuintle dog's body. First make four marks to determine the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: To the right, draw a smaller circle the same way as a guide for the back part of the dog's body. This circle should be about half the size of the first one. Don't space them too far apart, or the xolo's body will be too long. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 3: Above the first circle, draw yet another circle as a guide for the xoloitzcuintle's head. Use the four-marks method to draw this circle too. This circle should be slightly smaller than the second one. Don't place this circle too high up, otherwise the dog's neck will be too long.

Step 4: Draw a curved, horizontal line across the head to help you place the xolo dog's facial features later. Draw a shorter, curved, vertical construction guide line on the top, left side.

Step 5: Draw a small circle on the lower, left side of the head as a guide for the xolo's muzzle. Use the construction lines as guides for placement. Part of this circle should stick out of the head. Pay attention to the size of this circle in relation to the dog's head.

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Step 6: Draw two big arcs on top of the head as guides for the ears. Tilt the tops of the arcs outward a bit. Xolos have big ears, so don't draw these shapes too small.

Step 7: Draw two long, vertical lines under the first circle as guides for the front legs. Notice how long the lines are in relation to the xoloitzcuintle dog's body. Bend the lines a bit to indicate where the joints will be.

Step 8: Draw two more long lines under the circle on the right as guide for the hind legs. The first line should slope to the right a bit, and the top should be bent slightly. The second line should bend twice in the middle to indicate where the xoloitzcuintle dog's joints will be.

Step 9: Draw two lines that connect the head to the body to create the guide for the neck. Draw two lines that connect the first two circles to complete the guide for the xoloitzcuintle's torso.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

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Step 10: Lightly sketch the eyes inside the head as two small circles. Use the initial lines as guides for the placement and size of the xoloitzcuintle's eyes. When you get the circles right, darken them. Draw a couple of angled lines on the sides for the corners of the eyes. The eye on the right should be slightly bigger because of the way the head is turned. Darken the circle on the right and draw the pointy corners of the eyes too. The inner corners of the eyes should point downward a bit toward the dog's muzzle.

Step 11: Draw a few curved lines around the eyes for the eyelids and skin creases. Xolos are mainly a hairless breed of dog, so their wrinkles are more visible, especially around the eyes. Inside each eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle for a highlight. In the middle of each eye, draw a dark dot for the pupils. Shade the xoloitzcuintle's eyes using a light value. Make the top parts of the eyes slightly darker for a rounder look. As you shade the eyes, don't overlap the tiny highlight circles.

Step 12: Inside the muzzle, near the right side, lightly sketch a small oval as a guide for the nose. When you get the position and size of the oval right, darken the top edge. Darken the right side but curve the line inward to create the first nostril. Darken the bottom edge of the nose and add a small line at the bottom. Darken the left side and curve the line inward for the other nostril. Draw a pointy, triangular shape at the bottom of the nose for the bit that will connect to the mouth. Shade the inside of the dog's nostrils using a dark value.

Step 13: Below the nose, draw a line that curves to the right for the first half of the xolo's mouth. Use the bottom edge of the initial circle as a guide. Dip the line down for the droopy lip. Stretch the line outside of the small circle. Draw a smaller line on the left for the other side of the dog's mouth. Curve the line up toward the nose to finish the front part of the muzzle.

Step 14: Draw a short line under the dog's mouth for the visible part of the lower jaw. Draw a couple of sloping lines from the top of the nose to the eye on the left for the top of the xoloitzcuintle's muzzle. On the front part of the muzzle, below the nose, draw a few dots and broken lines for the base of the dog's whiskers.

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Step 15: Use the arc on the top, right side of the head as a guide to draw the xolo dog's first ear. Follow the basic path of the arc but make the shape of the ear thinner and wavier. Make the tip pointier too. At the bottom, draw a series of lines for the creases. Add a few more lines inside the shape, on the sides, for the inner structure. Draw a few more lines at the bottom for the curved cartilage structure.

Step 16: Use the arc on the left as a guide to draw the other ear the same way. Follow the path of the arc but make the shape of the ear wavier, thinner and pointier at the top. Add a few short, curved lines at the bottom for detail but not as much as the other because the xoloitzcuintle's head is blocking it. Add a few more lines along the sides of the ear for more structure.

Step 17: Draw a series of short strokes along the top edge of the big circle for the bit of hair on the dog's head. Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the rest of the head. Darken the lower, right edge of the initial circle for the jaw. Draw the lines around the eye on the left farther inside the initial circle to make the xoloitzcuintle's head thinner. Draw a series of short lines on the forehead for the patch of short fur found there. Some xolo dogs are completely hairless, including this patch on the forehead, so you can omit this if you'd like. Add a few more lines inside the head to emphasize the bone and muscle structure.

Step 18: Use the second line from the left as a guide to draw the first front leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the dog's leg around it. Make the base of the leg at the top wide and the rest of the leg skinny. Keep the edges of the leg close to the guide line to maintain a skinny shape throughout. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. At the bottom, curve the shape to the left to create the xolo's paw. On the left side of the paw, draw a couple of short, curved lines for the toes. On the tip of each toe, draw a tiny triangular shape for the nails.

Step 19: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the other front leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide. Sketch lightly at first. Keep the edges of the leg close to the guide lines to maintain a skinny shape. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. The top of this leg isn't as wide as the first leg. Curve the bottom part of the shape to the left to create the paw. Add a curved line on the right side for the joint. On the tip of the paw, draw short, curved lines for the xolo dog's toes. On the tip of each toe, draw a tiny triangular shape for the nails.

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Step 20: Use the angled line on the far right as a guide to draw the xoloitzcuintle's first hind leg. Draw this leg the same way. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the leg around it. Make the top part of this leg wider than the front legs for a more muscular shape. Darken the lines when you get the shape right. Keep the bottom half of the leg skinny. Draw the xoloitzcuintle dog's toes at the bottom as short, curved lines and the nails as tiny triangular shapes. Curve the lines near the middle so that the shape bulges out to create the joint. The left edge of the leg doesn't connect to the body at the top. Keep it slightly away from the initial circle.

Step 21: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the xolo's other hind leg the same way. Lightly sketch the leg around the guide and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. This leg should bend a lot more in the middle because of the perspective. Add the dog's toes and nails at the bottom using curved lines and tiny triangular shapes. The foot should slope to the left. The top of this leg should be a lot wider than the tops of the front legs.

Step 22: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the dog's body. Draw a couple of short, curved lines along the top, right edge of the first circle for some skin creases. Connect the body to the leg on the right side using a curved line. Add a few short lines under the head to emphasize the neck's structure. At the bottom of the body, draw a line that slopes up toward the tip of the leg, and then darken the rest of the guide. On the right side, draw a two short, curved lines that come to a point for the visible part of the xoloitzcuintle's tail.

Step 23: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Add some shading to your xoloitzcuintle drawing to give the figure more dimension and volume. Use and extra dark value for the inside of the dog's ears and the nose. Leave a strip on the nose blank for shine. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Shade lightly at first, and then gradually build up the level of darkness that you like. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Use a medium value all over the xoloitzcuintle dog's body for extra detail. You can use a dark value for the bit of hair on the head or leave it blank for lighter-colored hair. Xolos are basically hairless, so use smooth strokes when you shade to avoid a furry texture. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for an accurate depiction of a xoloitzcuintle.

Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Add a cast shadow underneath to ground the dog so it doesn't appear to be floating. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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