How to draw a Labrador

A graphite portrait of a Labrador teaches the thing most people get wrong about animals: the head is built from a few big forms long before any fur appears.

  • Pencil sketch
  • Beginner
  • 35 min
  • 9 stages

Draw on paper with any pencil or pen. Compare each stage with the guide before you move on.

The finished Labrador in graphite drawing
What you will draw

Stage by stage

  1. Labrador in graphite, stage 1: Big shapes

    Big shapes

    Sketch the largest ovals and boxes with light marks.

    Check before you move on: Do the big shapes fill the page like the reference?

  2. Labrador in graphite, stage 2: Proportions

    Proportions

    Compare height and width, then add a center line.

    Check before you move on: Are the main height-to-width ratios close?

  3. Labrador in graphite, stage 3: Placement

    Placement

    Mark the positions of the main parts before adding detail.

    Check before you move on: Are the main parts in the right places?

  4. Labrador in graphite, stage 4: Outer contour

    Outer contour

    Choose one clear outline over your light guides.

    Check before you move on: Does the silhouette match the reference?

  5. Labrador in graphite, stage 5: Interior edges

    Interior edges

    Add only the inner edges that explain the form.

    Check before you move on: Can you understand the form without extra lines?

  6. Labrador in graphite, stage 6: Shadow shapes

    Shadow shapes

    Fill the largest shadow areas with one pale tone.

    Check before you move on: Are light and shadow clearly separated?

  7. Labrador in graphite, stage 7: Midtones

    Midtones

    Add a middle tone between the light and shadow.

    Check before you move on: Can you see light, middle and dark groups?

  8. Labrador in graphite, stage 8: Accents

    Accents

    Deepen a few dark accents where forms overlap.

    Check before you move on: Are the darkest marks limited and deliberate?

  9. Labrador in graphite, stage 9: Finish

    Finish

    Refine a few focal details and keep the rest simple.

    Check before you move on: Does one focal area stand out?

Tips for this drawing

  • Block the skull and the muzzle as two separate shapes. The muzzle sits in front of the round skull like a box.
  • Compare distances before you place anything: how far apart the eyes are, and how far the nose sits below them.
  • Build the short coat with directional strokes that follow the fur, and keep the lightest areas as bare paper.

Make a lesson like this from your own photo

Sketchwise builds a guide image for every stage, checks your page along the way and scores the finished drawing.

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