Drawing Pets: Micro Lesson and Sketchbook Project

Dear Reader: Every week, I give you a Micro Lesson and sketchbook project, that you can use to draw for 10 minutes a day with your sketchbook. This week, however, I have a very special guest filling in for me,

Beth Spencer

of the

Introvert Drawing Club

, Enjoy!

Adam.

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Drawing pets isn’t easy, but you can do hard things.

Especially if you practice for 10 minutes a day! For day 1, practice with me in the video. The following days are in a handy list below with links to furry subjects. Or draw your pets for bonus points!

Why are we drawing cats and dogs in timed intervals?

• They are interesting colours, textures, and shapes.

• It makes drawing characters from imagination easier.

• Fast timings prevent us from getting lost in details, so we can focus on the full subject.

• Learn about the types of marks you like making (fast and loose or slower, more detailed illustrations).

• Wonky dog and cat drawings are hilarious!

Sketchbook project

This week’s project is to draw dogs and cats for 10 minutes every day. Draw along in the video with me to kickstart your week!

Day 1

Draw along to the video.

Day 2

Draw these cats for 10 minutes.

Black & white photos are awesome to draw from, so you don't get too wrapped up in colors. 

Day 3

Draw this cat and this dog for 5 minutes. 

Tip: The negative space could be your best friend for capturing these two.

Day 4

Draw this dog for 3 minutes.

Photo by Lucrezia Carnelos on Unsplash

Draw this cat for 3 minutes.

Draw this one for 4 minutes. 

Tip: Try combining the first two to create a narrative.

Day 5

Draw this cat for 2 minutes. 

Draw this cat for 3 minutes. 

Then draw these dogs for 5 minutes.

Day 6

Draw these dogs for 7 minutes. 

Then draw a this cat for 3 minutes.

Day 7

Draw these dogs for 10 minutes. 

Tip: Think of sketching them as one figure instead of drawing individual dogs.

Questions to ask yourself after each drawing

• Do you prefer shorter or longer timed intervals?

• Check-in with your drawings from the previous day. How do you feel about them?

• Are you trying to match the colors with the photo?

• What parts of each animal do you like drawing most? Which do you find more challenging?

The more you draw dogs and cats, the more you’ll start noticing subtle nuances that make them unique personalities. You can exaggerate or highlight in your art to illustrate their personalities. 

Rounding up all these photos of pets gave me an itch to draw them! I hope you have fun sketching them, too. I hope to draw with you soon in an Introvert Drawing Club session!

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Share your work in the Sketchbook Gallery, use this link to share anything you’ve made in your sketchbook this year, and the pet photos. - Adam

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