“Hmm...this doesn’t quite look right...I got the hang of drawing a walking dog before, but portraying someone walking the dog is proving to be tricky....”
If you’ve read any previous articles, then you may already have encountered Shelley the scribbler and her attempts at cartooning.
Today she was trying to draw someone walking a dog and it wasn’t turning out right.
This follows on from the previous ‘How to draw a walking dog’, if you haven’t read it, you can check it out here. [link]
By the end you will be able to...
By the end of this article you will be able to draw someone walking a dog.
We’re going to do this with the help of Cynthia and Rex the Spaniel.
Introducing Cynthia and Rex the Spaniel
Observe
First of all, before we get started drawing, let’s take a look at how someone actually walks a dog. Of course you could immediately google it, but it’s fun to try and observe in real life first.
If, like myself, you don’t have a dog, then start paying attention to people in your neighborhood as they’re out walking their pooch.
I’ve just realised that I have an ever-so-slight resemblance to Cynthia in this pic...
Just before I started writing this, I went out for a stroll around the neighbourhood. It was raining lightly, so I took an umbrella with. I met a chap out walking a pair of miniature Schnauzers. The dogs were friendly at first, but went I bent over to pat on on the head, it started growling at me. It turned out that the dog didn’t like umbrellas. After the owner had explained that to me, and I had taken down the umbrella, the dog lightened up and we got along.
If there are no dogs being walked nearby or it’s the middle of the night as you read this, or whatever then try a YouTube video, but don’t go shown the YouTube sinkhole of clicking on video after video!
In a previous article, I showed an image showing the stages of how a dog walks. I think it’s worth having another look at it here.
Here’s the image that we’re going to recreate.
We’re now going to look at the elements of the cartoon one-by-one, as it’s easier to draw them separately.
If you are drawing digitally then it’s easy to create different layers for the dog and the walker.
If you are drawing on paper, then you can practice drawing them separately first and then draw them together for the final version. Outline the dog and walker in pencil first, and then erase any overlapping lines.
Let’s start with the dog walker.
You can copy this picture of Cynthia or use another picture of a person walking.
We’re going to follow a three-step process to practice drawing the walker.
1. Trace the picture.
First trace it nice and slowly, pay attention while you are tracing.
Now trace it again, this time do it more quickly.
Trace one last time, doing it as quickly as possible.
2. Copy the picture
Next copy the picture.
Again, start off nice and slowly, take your time.
Now draw it again, this time more quickly.
Draw it one last time.
Draw it one last time, do a lightning sketch.
3. Draw from memory.
Now go and make a cup of tea or coffee.
Now try and draw your walker from memory.
Next draw it again...and again...
Now we’re going to draw the dog using the same three-step process.
Once you have a version of the walker and dog that you are happy with, you can put them together.
Once you have a version of the walker and dog that you are happy with, you can put them together.
Now that you’ve drawn the basic pose you could think about how you can make your dog a bit more cartoony? What features could you exaggerate?
Remember that exaggeration is a key part of achieving a comic effect.
You could also try drawing the same pose again but with some different dog breeds.
Here are a few you can reference.
Note that some of them have shorter legs or different shaped torsos, but the basic idea is the same.
Of course this is a cartoon, so you’re welcome to experiment with a more cartoony, and less realistic feel.
Trick: Build up a library of different poses you can refer to. This is particularly useful if you’ve already started to develop your own style, as the reference pictures will begin your style as opposed to a photo or someone else’s.
Gags
Okay, now we’ve done the basics of someone walking a dog, let’s have some fun thinking up some ideas for cartoons.
Here are some questions to ask:
-The dog and walking nicely along now, but what could interrupt this peaceful scene
-They say that owners start to resemble their pets....what do you think?
-As Rex is a Spaniel, is there any way you could reflect that in Cynthia, for example by changing her hair or her clothes?