Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a German Shepherd Dog" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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

Step 1: Draw two circles as guides for the German shepherd dog's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. The circle on the left should be about two-thirds the size of the first one. It should be a little lower too. And don't place it too far away, otherwise your German shepherd dog will end up too long.

Step 2: Draw a smaller circle on the top right side as a guide for the German shepherd dog's head. This circle should be about half the size of the original, and their edges should touch.

Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines inside the German shepherd dog's head to help you place the facial features later on.

Step 4: Draw a small circle on the lower part of the head as a guide for the German shepherd dog's muzzle.

Step 5: Draw two triangle-like lines on top of the German shepherd dog's head as guides for the ears.

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Step 6: Draw a series of curved lines that connect the major shapes to form the German shepherd dog's body.

Step 7: Draw four lines under the body (two below each circle) as guides for the German shepherd dog's legs. Bend the lines near the middle to indicate where the joints will be. Bend them near the tip as well to indicate where you will draw the German shepherd dog's paws.

Step 8: Draw a short, curved line in between the hind legs as a guide for drawing the German shepherd dog's tail.

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

Step 9: Draw the German shepherd dog's eyes inside the head by lightly sketching ovals. Use the lines as guides for placement. Darken the ovals using thick lines and make the ends pointier. Draw a tiny circle inside each eye to represent glare, then a slightly bigger dot for the pupils. Shade in the rest of the eye using a value that's lighter than the pupils. Add a few lines around the eyes for extra detail. Draw a few quick, short strokes over the eyes for the German shepherd dog's furry brow.

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Step 10: Draw the German shepherd dog's nose inside the muzzle by first lightly drawing a circle. Darken the circle and make it a bit flatter. Draw a small line a the bottom. Draw and shade a couple of circles inside the nose for the nostrils. Draw a line at the top.

Step 11: Use the initial small circle as a guide to draw the German shepherd dog's muzzle. Draw a line above the dog's nose for the top of the muzzle. Then draw the mouth under the nose. The mouth is a wavy line that stretches toward the edge of the small circle and curves to the nose on the right side. Draw a few curved lines under the mouth for the chin, jaw and loose skin underneath. Add a few quick, short strokes at the top too.

Step 12: Use the arcs on the head to draw the German shepherd dog's ears. Darken the line for the ears as you follow the path of the arcs and give them more structure. Draw quick, short strokes inside each shape for the fur within the ear.

Step 13: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the German shepherd dog's head. Use quick, short strokes as you follow the basic path of the oval to give the head a fuzzy texture. Add a few quick, short strokes inside the circle for the detail of the fur and for the bottom part of the head.

Step 14: Use the lines on the right as guides to draw the front feet. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg as you follow the path of the line. When you get the structure right, darken the lines. Draw a few curved lines at the end of the paw for the toes. Draw the German shepherd dog's front leg on the other side by using the other line as a guide. Draw it the same way by lightly sketching the shape first and only darkening the lines when you get the structure right.

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Step 15: Now use the other lines as guides to draw the hind legs using the same technique. The hind legs should be wider at the top and become narrower at the bottom. The hind legs are also placed far from each other to give the German shepherd dog a powerful stance. Follow the path of the guide line as you sketch the other leg. This leg doesn't extend toward the back. It's closer to the front. Darken the lines when you have the structure right, and add the toes at the bottom.

Step 16: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the rest of the German shepherd dog's body and tail. Follow the path of the lines as you draw quick, short strokes throughout the body for a furry texture. You can use longer strokes if you want to draw your German shepherd with shaggier fur. Make the tail wider as you follow the path of the line.

Step 17 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of them. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.

 

 

Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your German shepherd dog drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the German shepherd dog so it doesn't appear to be floating.

You can stop here for a white German shepherd breed or you can add more value throughout your German shepherd dog drawing for extra detail. German shepherds have a "black mask" on their faces, so push hard with your pencil for a darker value on the muzzle and eyes. Add the value by using strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. German shepherd dogs usually have a large dark area on their back called a saddle or blanket, so add a darker value there too. If you have a German shepherd, try to duplicate its pattern on your drawing. You can also add a dark value all over for a black shepherd. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a German Shepherd Dog" video to draw at your own pace.

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