How to Draw a Realistic Dog

When you draw the paws, make sure you don't just draw circles with lines in them. Make it so the paw is the correct size and shape for that breed or size of dog. Make it extend from the leg, and add curved lines into it.

Unlike the Rottweiler used in this article, an Australian Shepherd would have a smaller, streamlined, and less bulky build. However, you can use a similar base by marking out the head, chest, and hindquarter of the dog. Rather than using the long ovular head, you can replace it with a squared base, then add a triangular muzzle. For the chest and hind leg, round them off more to create the nearly rectangular body of an Aussie. Once these three components are marked out, you can proceed to arrange them to fit a position of your choice. Using a reference photo, you can then sketch the outline for the dog, later working toward smaller details.

In my experience with drawing my pup, I'd say make them semi-circular. Don't just draw a circle, or an oval. If you've drawn human eyes before, then it is similar to that. Round off the back of the eye, and make the front come to a point. Also, if you want to draw a dog with bigger eyes, such as a puppy, make the back a little taller, so it looks bigger, but keeping the same size. I've noticed my dog has three colors in his eyes - the dark, dark brown outer rim, the lovely, rich lighter brown ring, then a tree-brown inner ring, then the pupil. That's just my guide, so adapt it to your own needs.