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If you're stepping up your dog drawing game by practicing particular breeds, the pitbull is a good one to try. Start with step one, below.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Drawing the Eyes, Nose, and Facial Structure

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  1. They should be loose reflections of one another and be mostly symmetrical.
    • Leave a space of between 2 and 3 eye widths between the eyes to display the wideset-nature of pitbull heads.
  2. Leave a small portion outside of each circle within the almond.
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    • These will form the pupils of the dog.
    • The inner circles should resemble Pacman shapes
  3. The curves should start under the inner sides of each eye, and gradually slope to the outside direction, about half the width through the eye.
  4. Three-quarters down each curve, in the center between the two curves, draw a slightly-widened half circle to start the nose, leaving the bottom portion of the circle open.
    • These will form the nostrils
    • These will shape the septum.
  5. Reflect the top portion of the nose horizontally, to enclose the nose and form tear-drop shapes on either side of the center of the nose.
    • Do not make the bottom portion as smooth as the top portion. Form a trough in the center to provide a more organic look
    • These will act as creases, to further enhance and round the nose
    • This will form the cleft of the dog’s mouth.
  6. They should extended to the width of near the edges of each eye.
    • The ending height of the curve should be the same height as the start of each curve (the bottom of the cleft).
    • These will form the upper lip/whisker area of the dog.
    • They do not have to be symmetrical, as these act as the whisker holes
  7. In the middle between the two eyes, starting near the top of the eyes, draw a rounded Y that is roughly the same size as the nose.
    • This acts as the forehead wrinkle, a characteristic of many pitbulls.
  8. They should loosely follow the curvature of the eye’s shape.
    • These add character and help add to the rough look of pitbulls, as well as demonstrate the bony, muscular detailing in their facial structure.
  9. Starting from the outer edge of each eye, and the height of the curvature of the nose bridge, draw one parabolic, soft curve on each side of the dog’s face.
    • These help outline the strong cheekbones on pitbulls.
  10. They should be about one-third the width of the eyeballs in size.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Drawing the Ears and Head Shape

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  1. Draw a curved line on either side of the face, extending from the height of the corner of each eyeball down to just below the curves of the whisker area.
    • These will form the strong, jutting cheek bones of the dog, and help to encompass the features of the face.
  2. These lines should be relatively straight.
  3. It does not need to follow a very specific shape, but instead must feature a few slight curves, to form the top of the head and forehead.
  4. They should end near the edges of the forehead burrow, but shouldn’t touch the line.
  5. Draw accenting lines around the ears, and end them with curves that reach outwards towards the inner base of the ears (near the furrow).
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Drawing the Mouth, Jaw, and Personal Touches

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    • The shape should replicate the shape drawn for the bottom of the nostrils, but on a wider scale.
  1. Draw the tongue by starting with two connected curves in the middle of the mouth hole that look like reflections of the curves in the whisker area.
  2. Extend the tongue down past the mouth with straight lines, touching each side of the gap you left open, and ending with a U-shaped curve.
  3. Draw a third curved line extending from the jowls to three-quarters of the way down the tongue, connecting the bottom jaw, but not going through the tongue.
    • This will form the chin of the dog.
  4. Draw a rounded line from either side of the chin that passes underneath the chin and behind each spike, connecting to make a collar.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Why are there so many wrinkles? My pitt doesn't have any wrinkles.
    Community Answer
    It is just the artists rendition of a pitbull. If yours doesn't have as many wrinkles you can feel free to draw it how you would like. With all, some or no wrinkles.
  • Question
    Why does the example image have spikes around the pitbull?
    Community Answer
    It's a collar, but you don't have to put spikes in your image if you don't want to.
  • Question
    Why is the nose pink?
    Community Answer
    Some pit bulls have pink noses, especially the white ones. You can color the nose whatever shade you like.
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      Tips

      • A #2 wooden pencil would be best for drawing because the rounded lead helps add to the organic shapes of the dog and help eliminate sharp edges
      • A pen or other writing utensil would also work, but it is best to be able to erase any possible mistakes
      • The size/color of the paper does not matter, so long as you use the same size ratio to fit the paper


      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • Avoid drawing spikes on the dog's collar if you don't want to perpetuate stereotypes about pitbulls being violent or mean dogs.
      • Drawing very light circles to start can help you proportion better, especially if you're a beginning artist.
      • Go over the lines of the final drawing with a Sharpie if you want them to look bold and crisp.
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      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To draw a pitbull, start by drawing 2 symmetrical upturned almond shapes with large circles and smaller pupils inside for the eyes. Then, draw the bridge of the nose by drawing 2 curved lines below the inner corners of the eyes, with the nose underneath. Next, under the nose, draw a straight line for the cleft of the dog’s mouth, with downward sloping lines coming off the cleft to make the rest of the mouth. Finally, draw 10 whisker dots on each side of the mouth and outline the head, ears, and jaw. To learn how to color in your pitbull drawing, scroll down!

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