How to draw a dog’s eye

Every animal has unique set of eyes. There’s not one animal that I’ve drawn that’s been the same. This being said, there are some similarities that will help you learn to draw every eye in the future.

Let’s begin with a dog’s eye to gain a better understanding of the basics for dogs.

Begin with the outline, make sure to draw the eye almost in a teardrop shape. Add the tear duct in the corner but do not fill it in just yet. You can use a black pencil or a dark brown color to make the outline.

Draw in the pupil using a black or dark brown color. like to use Faber Castell Polychromos for the sharp details. You can also use a dark blue if you see cool colors. Make sure to leave room for the highlights and reflections. Draw around those areas as best as possible!

Adding color is my favorite part! Look at the reference image and pick out 3 different colors to fill in between the pupil and the rim of the iris. To mix it up, use an earthy green color around the pupil for brown eyes. That contrast really helps to make the eyes pop.

Using a light color over the highlights will help to blend the highlight into the pupil. Use this color over the pupil to also create a nice reflection. You can use light blue, white, or a cream color of some sort.

If you still see bits of the paper coming through, be sure to use heavier pressure to get rid of that “grainy” look.

Sometimes, just drawing the eye isn’t always enough. Usually there are darker bits of fur around the eye that I like to draw before moving on just so it looks more complete and easier to see proportionately.