Draw a Realistic Dog Portrait

If you are new to Outschool, welcome! Please use my referral code NikkiMolick6OUTRE20 to receive a discount on this course!

In this self-paced course, students will work step-by-step to create a realistic pencil drawing of a dog! While beginners are more than welcome to take any of my courses, this particular course may be more suitable for students who have been drawing for a while and are looking to enhance their skills. Drawing a pet portrait requires a lot of patience and trust in the process, so if your student is a beginner to drawing, but feels like they are up for a challenge, then I encourage them to try this course. If you feel your student would do well in this course and they are outside of the age range, please reach out to me!

This class will briefly discuss drawing paper, pencils, and other tools that can be used to enhance a young artist's skills. 

We will use the grid method to sketch our drawing. A reference photo with and without a grid will be provided for students to work from. We will work on proportion, creating depth with shading and blending, discuss pencil pressure, and students will be introduced to the art of drawing long and short hair.

Because this is a self-paced course, learners can feel relaxed knowing they can move at their own pace. 

We will begin by creating a grid on our drawing paper and sketching the outline of our dog. We will then work section by section as we work to complete our drawing. Students will practice creating reflections and highlights in the eyes and nose, use different pencil strokes for short and long hair, use an eraser tool (link provided) to create highlights in hair, and many more techniques to help them enhance theirs skills and create more realistic drawings. 

Students can work at whatever pace they choose, and remember, the goal is to enhance our skills and not to rush through. Drawing takes time and patience. Many of my portraits take me 20 hours to complete. All-in-all, I aim for this class to be informational and fun, and to help enhance young artists' skills!

This class is set up as a 7 week course, where each week students can work on a different section of their drawing. Along the way, if students have questions, I encourage you to send a message to me along with a photograph of their drawing so that I can assist them in answering their question(s). When they complete their drawing, I would love to see their final piece! You can request a final critique by me, where I can offer advice on any areas where they had a hard time. I cannot wait for your student to take this course and to see their drawings!

Happy drawing!