How to Draw a Chihuahua

Please PAUSE the 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 chihuahua’s body. They don’t have to be perfect. They’re just guides. Instead, pay attention to the space between the circles. If they’re too far apart, the chihuahua dog will be too long. The circle on the right should be a bit smaller than the one on the left.

Step 2: Draw another circle on the upper left side as a guide for the chihuahua’s head. This circle should be about the same size as the second circle, and its edge should almost touch the first circle.

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

Step 4: Draw a small circle on the lower half of the head as a guide for the chihuahua’s muzzle.

 

Step 5: Draw two triangle-like shapes on top of the chihuahua’s head as guides for the dog’s ears.

Step 6: Draw two angled lines under the chihuahua’s body (one below each circle) as guides for the dog’s legs.

Step 7: Draw a series of curved lines that connect the major shapes to form the chihuahua dog’s body. Add a small, curved line on the right side as a guide for the 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 8: Draw the chihuahua’s eyes inside the head using the lines as guides for placement. The shape of the chihuahua’s eyes are similar to a football. The eye on the left should be smaller because of perspective. Draw a circle inside each eye that takes up most of the space inside the eye for the actual eyeball. Draw a tiny circle inside each eye to represent glare, and add a small dot for the pupils. Shade the inside of the chihuahua’s eyes. Add a lighter value than the pupil to make the eye stand out. Darken the outline of the eyes more and draw a few lines on the outside for extra detail.

Step 9: Draw the nose inside the chihuahua dog’s muzzle using the lines and small circle as guides. First lightly draw an oval. Then darken the top part and draw curved lines on the sides for the chihuahua’s nostrils. Now darken the bottom part of the dog’s nose and draw a small line to split the bottom.

Step 10: Use the small circle as a guide to draw the rest of the chihuahua dog’s muzzle. Draw a line from the nose to the left eye to form the top of the dog’s muzzle. Then draw a line below the chihuahua’s nose that splits in two to form the mouth. Draw a couple of lines using quick, short strokes to represent fur below the mouth for the chin.

Step 11: Use the shapes on top of the head as guides to draw the chihuahua’s ears. Make the ears shorter and rounder. Draw the bottom or base of the ears a little narrower. Draw a few quick, short strokes for the fur within the ears and for more structure.

Step 12: Use the original circle as a guide to draw the rest of the chihuahua dog’s head. The left side of the head, below the eye, should come in toward the chihuahua’s muzzle to make the eye bulge out a bit. Draw a few more lines within the head to shape the chihuahua dog’s face more. Use quick, short strokes to represent fur.

Step 13: Using the line as a guide, draw the chihuahua’s front legs. Draw lightly at first to get the structure of the dog’s leg right. When you’re happy with what you have, go ahead and darken it. The leg is thicker on top and bends forward a bit. Draw a few curved lines at the end of the dog’s paw for the toes and nails. Draw the leg on the other side by using the first one as a template. Part of it is hidden by the leg in the front, so only draw the visible portion.

Step 14: Use the other line as a guide to draw the hind legs the same way as the front legs. Remember to draw the leg lightly at first, and only darken it when you have the structure right. The dog’s hind legs are thicker at the base and angle back more than the front legs. Don’t forget the toes and nails at the bottom! Draw the chihuahua’s leg on the other side using the same technique.

Step 15: Darken the remaining lines to complete the rest of the chihuahua dog’s body. Draw a few quick, short strokes for a smooth-coated look. You can draw longer strokes for a long-coated chihuahua.

Step 16: Thicken up the initial line using quick, short strokes to draw the chihuahua’s bushy tail.

Step 17 (optional): You can stop here for a sketchy look or erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines for a cleaner look. Don’t worry about erasing all of the guides. It’s okay to leave some behind. Also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.

Step 18 (optional): Add some shading to your chihuahua 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.

Step 19 (optional): Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the chihuahua dog so it doesn’t appear to be floating.

Step 20 (optional): You can stop here for a white chihuahua or you can add more value throughout your drawing for extra detail. Chihuahuas come in a variety of coat patterns, so you can add speckles, patches or even spots! For a basic coat like this, add a single value throughout the chihuahua’s body. It’s always a good idea to reference for accuracy. And don’t forget to pause the video whenever you need help.