Easy drawing · step by step

How to draw a dog

Meet Biscuit, a beagle. In 16 easy steps you’ll draw a standing dog with a long floppy ear and its tail up in the air, using a pencil and paper: a few circles to start, then the markings and soft shading.

16 steps
Beginner
Pencil and paper

Or follow the steps

A finished pencil drawing of a beagle dog standing with a floppy ear, its tail up and shaded markings — Biscuit, finished

You’ll need

A pencil (an HB is fine)
Paper
An eraser

Draw a dog, step by step

This step’s lines
Already drawn

Draw everything in pencil: the blue only shows what’s new in each step. Save all 16 steps to Pinterest

STEP 1Guide lines
Head and body guides
Start light: a circle for the head, a smaller one for the muzzle, a big circle for the chest and one for the rump.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 10.
STEP 2Guide lines
Leg guides
Two straight lines down for the front legs, and a curve for the back leg.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 10.
STEP 3Outline
The head
Now the outline: over the top of the head, down the nose, and round the muzzle and chin.
STEP 4Outline
The ear
A long floppy ear hanging from the back of the head.
STEP 5Outline
The face
The eye: an almond, a circle for the pupil, a tiny circle for the glint. The nose as an outline with its highlight. Just outlines for now.
STEP 6Outline
Neck and back
Down the front of the neck and chest, the shoulder line down to the belly, then along the back and round the rump.
STEP 7Outline
The tail
A tail up in the air.
STEP 8Outline
Legs and paws
The back leg down to its paw stretched out in front, then the front legs straight down to their paws.
STEP 9Clean lines
The markings
Outline the beagle's markings lightly: the ear, the saddle over the back, and the base of the tail. Just the edges for now.
STEP 10Clean lines
Erase the guides
Rub out the circles and guide lines. Only the dog stays.
STEP 11Clean lines
Go over the outline
Now press harder and go over the outside edge of the whole dog, so it stands out from the lines inside.
STEP 12Shading
Shadow side
The light comes from the top left. Shade the side away from it with a soft, even tone. Keep it light.
STEP 13Shading
Cast shadow
A soft shadow on the ground under the dog, so it sits on the page.
STEP 14Shading
Deep shadows
Press harder in the deepest folds: under the ear, under the chin, where the legs meet the body.
STEP 15Shading
Fill the markings
Colour the markings in with an even mid tone, right up to the edges you drew.
STEP 16Shading
The darks
Last of all, the darkest marks: fill in the pupil and the nose, leaving the glint and the highlight white.

Tips for a better dog

Four circles to start
A circle for the head, a smaller one for the muzzle, a big one for the chest and one for the rump. Keep them light: they get rubbed out in step 10.
Let the ear hang
A long floppy ear hanging from the back of the head is what makes it a beagle.
Tail up
Draw the tail pointing up in the air: it makes the dog look happy and alert.
Edges first, then fill
Draw just the edges of the markings, and fill them with an even tone only near the end.
Save the darkest for last
Fill in the pupil and the nose last, leaving the glint in the eye and the highlight on the nose white.

Biscuit’s world has 9 more drawings

DrawRabbit has 95 narrated drawings in 10 worlds, from axolotls to dragons. You draw each one with a real pencil and paper, and the first drawing in every world is free.

The puddle
Under the fence
By the fire
Home at last

Free to start · iPhone and iPad

Questions

Is this dog easy to draw?

Yes. It starts with four light circles and a few guide lines, so the shape is right before you add any detail, and each step only adds a little.

What do I need?

A pencil, paper and an eraser. Draw the first steps lightly: the guide lines are rubbed out in step 10.

How do I draw a beagle’s markings?

Outline the markings lightly first: the ear, the saddle over the back and the base of the tail. After shading, colour them in with an even mid tone, right up to the edges you drew.

Can kids draw it?

Yes. It’s made for beginners of any age. If reading the steps is hard, the draw-along talks you through each line while it draws.

What is DrawRabbit?

A drawing app for iPhone and iPad: narrated, step-by-step lessons you follow with a real pencil and paper. 95 drawings in 10 worlds, free to start, no account needed.

Made by DrawRabbit, from the app’s own narrated lesson: the step pictures are drawn by the same stroke-by-stroke player. Updated 21 October 2026.