How To Draw a dog golden lab puppy with this how-to video and step-by-step drawing instructions. Easy animals to draw for beginners and kids.
Please see the drawing tutorial in the video below
You can refer to the simple step-by-step drawing guide below
Step 1:
Draw a large circle as the path for the Labrador retriever’s head. First make four small marks to represent the height and width of the circle. Then connect the marks with curved lines to create the shape of the circle. Make a light sketch at first to make it easier to erase if you make a mistake. If you have trouble drawing a circle, draw the outline of a cup, bowl, or any other object with a rounded edge. For more detailed instructions on different ways to draw circles, check out this tutorial: Four Simple Ways to Draw Circles.
Step 2:
Draw a long, curved, horizontal line across the circle to help you place the Labrador retriever’s facial features later on. On top of the horizontal line, near the left side, draw a vertical, curved, and shorter line for the other guide.
Step 3:
Draw a small circle on the bottom, left side to guide the Labrador retriever’s muzzle. Use the four-mark technique to draw this circle. Place it just below the horizontal guide. The bottom, left side of this circle should be outside the edge of the big circle.
Step 4:
Add a guide to the dog’s first ear by drawing a long vertical line on the right side. At the top, draw a diagonal slope to the right. Pay attention to the length of these lines. Draw a line at the bottom connecting the first two to form a large triangle and complete the guide for the Labrador retriever’s ears.
Step 5:
On the left side, draw a long, angled line as a guide for the Lab’s other ear. The tip blocks most of this ear, so don’t draw the entire triangle guide. Step 6: Draw a few short lines below the head to serve as a guide for a bit of the dog’s neck.
Step 6:
Draw a few short lines below the head to guide a bit of the dog’s neck.
That’s it for the tutorial! From this point on, use the pencil with more emphasis for a clearer drawing.
Step 7:
Lightly outline the dog’s eyes inside the head into two small circles. The eyes should be on the horizontal directional line and on either side of the vertical directional line. Once you have determined the correct position and size of the Labrador retriever’s eyes, darken the lines. The left eye should be slightly smaller than the right eye because the head is slightly turned.
As you darken the right eye, make the edges longer and more pointed. For the left eye, only the right corner of the eye should be highlighted due to the way the dog’s head is turned. Add a curved line above and below each eye for more detail. Divide these curves into short strokes for a fur-like texture.
Step 8:
Inside each dog’s eyes, draw a small circle to represent the glare. You can add a tiny glare circle inside the right eye for more detail. Inside each eye, draw a small circle and fill them in for the pupil. Don’t overlap the small glare circles when you shade the pupils. Use a dark value for the pupil but do not press the pencil too hard, or you may tear the paper.
Draw a few more lines inside each eye to emphasize the shape of the eyeball. Draw a few curved lines inside each eye, near the bottom edge. The left eye and the right eyeball are narrower due to the way the head is rotated. Draw a series of curved lines made up of short strokes above each eye to create the Labrador retriever’s bushy eyebrows.
Step 9:
Inside the circular path for Lab’s muzzle, lightly draw a small oval for the nose. Place this oval on the left side, just above the edge of the circle that is the guide for the head. Once you get the right size and position of the oval, darken the top edge first. Make lines for the edges of the oval curve to point inward to create the nostrils. Make the ends of the curves darker and thicker to accentuate the dog’s nostrils.
Add a vertical line at the bottom to bisect the bottom of the Labrador retriever’s nose. The right nostril should be slightly larger than the left one due to the viewing angle. Don’t make the nostrils too big, or your dog may start to look like a pig! Use short strokes when you darken the bottom edge of the nose.
Step 10:
Add the top of the Labrador retriever’s muzzle by first drawing a small line under the nose. Follow the bottom edge of the original large circle and draw the right part of the upper lip as a wavy line. The lip should end inside the original small circle. On the left, draw a smaller line for the rest of the upper lip. Curve the left line upwards to create the bottom edge of the left upper lip. Use the left edge of the original small circle as a guide to shape the retriever’s muzzle. Darken the top left part of the original small circle above the nose to complete the top of the muzzle.
Step 11:
Draw the lower lip/chin under the mouth using a series of curved lines. Make the chin stay in the shape of the original small circle. Don’t draw it too low. Add long, curved lines on the sides for the Labrador retriever’s lower lip. The entire shape of the snout should not extend beyond the original small circle too much.
Step 12:
Use the large triangle on the right as a guide to draw the Labrador retriever’s first ear. Follow the basic path of the tutorial but use short strokes as you darken it for a fur-like texture. Make the bottom part of the ear wavy and wider than the guide. Add a few short strokes in the upper left to create a fur fold at the dog’s ears.
Step 13:
Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the dog’s head. Follow the base line of the circle but make the top flatter as you darken the lines. Use short strokes along the line to create a fur-like texture. Make the left side of the tip narrower than the edge of the original circle. The line right next to the eye should protrude slightly for more structure. Use short strokes to darken the lines under the head and slightly create the neck of the Labrador retriever.
Step 14:
Use the left corner line as a guide to draw the retriever’s other ear. Draw a long, vertical line at the top made up of short strokes for the base of the ear. Then follow the guide’s path but make the curves more curved. The bottom end of the dog’s ears should be thin and protrude slightly beyond the guide.
Step 15:
Draw a series of short strokes in the shape of the head to accentuate the Labrador retriever’s coat. Use short strokes above the eyes for the eyebrows to make the face more expressive. Add some under the eyes and on the sides of the face for more bone structure. Don’t think too much about adding strokes; they are just short lines arranged in different shapes. Draw some short strokes on the right side, below the ears, to make the fur on the dog’s neck. Add some short strokes under the muzzle to create vertical lines for the loose skin on the throat.
Step 16:
For a cleaner look, remove as much of the original guide lines as possible. Don’t worry about deleting all the instructions. It’s okay to leave a number behind. Redraw any final outlines that you may have accidentally erased.
Step 17:
Final step: Add some shadows to your Labrador retriever drawing for more details. Shade the dog’s eyes using a value slightly brighter than the pupil. Use an average value for the nose too. Use a lighter value at the tip to create a stripe to show off the shine. If desired, you can stop shading behind the nose for the white Labrador. For more detailed instructions on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to Shade.
Shade the rest of the hound’s head using a value slightly lighter than the nose. Separate the individual strokes slightly so that the white of the paper goes through and emphasizes the fur-like texture. When you’re shading, use strokes that follow the general direction of the dog’s fur. Above the eyes, the strokes should curve to the sides from the center. This process can be very time consuming, so be patient and take breaks. The strokes on the dog’s muzzle should start at the nose and radiate to the sides. Use a darker value for the top of the muzzle below the nose.
Reference drawings
