How to Draw a Dog in Procreate: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Hey artists, back for more, are we? We got you! Drawing animals can be both fun and challenging, especially when capturing their unique fur patterns, facial expressions, and body proportions. If you enjoyed our previous  "How to Draw Cats" blog, you’ll love this one—dedicated to drawing dogs in Procreate!

In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to draw a poodle using simple yet effective techniques in Procreate. From sketching the basic shapes to adding intricate fur details, this guide will help you create a realistic dog portrait step by step.

Additionally, we’ll share pro tips for painting fur realistically and introduce an in-depth pet portrait course for those who want to refine their skills further. So, grab your iPad, open Procreate, and let’s get started!

Getting Started with Procreate

Before we begin learning how to draw a dog, let’s go over a few essential tools and techniques to ensure you get the best results.

1. Choosing the Right Procreate Brushes

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In Procreate, selecting the right brushes makes a huge difference in achieving realistic textures. For this tutorial, you’ll need:

• Sketching Brush – A pencil brush for rough outlines.
  
  
• Soft Round Brush – For base colors and shading.
  
  
• Fur Texture Brush – To create the curly fur of a poodle.
  
  
• Smudge Brush – For blending shadows and highlights smoothly.
  
  

💡 Pro Tip: If you don’t have a fur brush, try using the Soft Brush with varying pressure to mimic fluffy fur.

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2. Using Procreate Layers Efficiently

Layers help separate different parts of your drawing, making it easier to refine and adjust details. Here’s a simple layer setup:

1️⃣ Layer 1: Sketch (basic outline)
2️⃣ Layer 2: Shadows and highlights (Clipping Mask)
3️⃣ Layer 3: Fur texture (Clipping Mask)
4️⃣ Layer 4: Base colors

By organizing your layers, you can easily erase, modify, or blend areas without affecting the entire drawing.

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3. Importance of a Reference Image

When learning how to draw a dog, using a reference photo will help you understand proportions, lighting, and fur patterns. If you’re drawing from imagination, it’s still useful to glance at pictures of real doggos to capture their unique features.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing a Dog (Poodle Tutorial)

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In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to paint a curly-haired poodle portrait in Procreate using sample brushes from my Pet Portrait Purrfection Course. You’ll start by setting up your canvas and importing the provided sketch, color palette, and free brushes to make the process smoother. Then, you’ll lay down the base color using a specialized fur brush before gradually building shadows and depth with clipping masks. 

💡 Pro Tip: Adjust the opacity of the shading layer to blend shadows seamlessly into the base color.

You’ll refine the portrait by adding darker tones and realistic fur strokes, bringing the eyes, nose, and mouth to life with careful shading and highlights. Finally, you’ll enhance the curls with light strokes that follow the natural fur direction, completing your poodle’s soft and fluffy look. This tutorial will give you a solid foundation for painting pet portraits.

🐶 Poodle Feature Tip: Poodles have a distinctive fur texture that looks curly rather than wavy or straight. To achieve this effect, draw small, rounded circular strokes rather than long, smooth lines.

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Pro Tips for Painting Realistic Fur

Want to take your dog drawings further? Mastering fur painting techniques is key to making your dog portraits look realistic.

Here are some quick tips:

✅ Use short, curved strokes to mimic real fur.
✅ Layer multiple shades to add depth and variation.
✅ Apply blending modes like Multiply for natural shadows.
✅ Use Procreate’s Smudge Tool with a textured brush to create soft fur transitions.

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Take Your Dog Portraits to the Next Level

If you enjoyed this blog and want to elevate your pet portrait skills, my Pet Portrait Purrfection course is the perfect next step! While this guide teaches you how to draw a dog (and many more animals!) with step-by-step instructions, truly mastering pet portraits requires a deeper understanding of fur textures, color blending, and advanced painting techniques. That’s exactly what this course offers!

What’s Inside the Course?

This in-depth course is designed to take you from a beginner or intermediate artist to a confident pet portrait artist. It includes:

🐶 5 structured modules that break down pet portraiture step by step.
🎨 18 detailed lessons, covering everything from sketching to final refinements.
⏳ 18+ hours of HD video content, where I demonstrate techniques in real time.
🖌 Exclusive custom brushes, including fur, whiskers, and texture brushes.
🌟 Bonus lessons on how to create stunning pet portraits with added decorative elements.
📂 Downloadable resources, including practice files, color palettes, and brush sets.

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Why Enroll in This Course?

Unlike a single tutorial, this course dives deep into professional pet portrait techniques that will help you paint a wide variety of animals—not just poodles! You’ll learn how to:

✅ Create lifelike fur textures for short-haired, long-haired, and curly-haired pets.
✅ Master layering and blending techniques for smooth, realistic shading.
✅ Paint expressive eyes, noses, and other facial details to bring pets to life.
✅ Use lighting and contrast to enhance your artwork.
✅ Add creative backgrounds and decorative elements for a polished finish.

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Who is This Course For?

This course is ideal for:

• Aspiring pet portrait artists who want to turn their passion into a skill.
  
  
• Procreate users looking to refine their digital painting techniques.
  
  
• Commission-based artists who want to create high-quality pet portraits for clients.
  
  
• Hobbyists who love painting animals and want to improve their artwork.
  
  

This course will give you the tools and confidence to create stunning, lifelike pet portraits!

Conclusion

Now that you’ve completed your dog drawing, keep practicing! Try drawing different dog breeds, experiment with fur textures, and play with lighting effects to enhance realism.

We’d love to see your artwork! Tag us on social media and join our creative community. Happy drawing! 🐶🎨✨

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