Caroline
The Shih Tzu is not only one of the most unique-looking dog breeds out there, it is also one of the very cutest!
This breed is known for its small stature, little flat face and for the long, wavy hair covering the entirety of its body.
While it is well known for these aspects, it is also celebrated for being a tenacious and friendly breed with a huge personality.
It has become a popular breed around the world, and it is also a lot of fun to learn how to draw a Shih Tzu.
This can be a bit of a tricky challenge to do, so you’ll want to read all the way through to the end of this tutorial to see how it’s done!
We hope you enjoy recreating this adorable little dog in this step-by-step guide on how to draw a Shih Tzu in just 6 easy steps.
How to Draw A Shih Tzu – Let’s Get Started!
Step 1
To get this guide on how to draw a Shih Tzu started, we will begin with the face of the dog.
As we mentioned in the introduction, the face of this breed is one of the most distinguishing parts of the dog, so we shall try to represent it accurately.
Start off by drawing a small, flat nose for the dog. Then, draw some small round shapes surrounded by lots of curved lines for the eyes of the dog.
Shih Tzus tend to have hair coming from their faces that resemble a big mustache, and we shall start drawing those as well.
Use some longer curved lines going down the sides of the face. We will finish off these portions of hair as we move on to the next steps of the guide.
Step 2 – Now, draw the top of the Shih Tzu’s head
For the next part of your Shih Tzu drawing, we will be drawing the furry top of the head. First draw a little bow above the middle tuft of hair that you just drew in the previous step.
Using some curved lines, we will also extend some hair up from this bow. Then, we will be drawing the floppy ears on the sides of the head.
These will also be drawn with several curved lines connecting to one another, and they will be drawn like this to make the ears look extra fluffy.
Step 3 – Draw some more of the face and front legs
Now you will be drawing more of the face while also adding some front legs in this third step of our guide on how to draw a Shih Tzu.
We will be using a sharply curved line for the mouth of the dog, and this will help to give the face that characteristically grumpy expression that this breed usually has.
We will then be drawing many more curved lines around this area to again make it look a lot fluffier and furrier.
Use some more curvy lines for the outline of the front legs and some more of the body for the Shih Tzu.
The front legs will be connected with a line at the base, as there is a curtain of fur that surrounds the body of the dog.
Step 4 – Next, draw the start of the tail and back section
For the next part of this Shih Tzu drawing, we will be adding the start of the tail and the back section of the body.
The tail is very fluffy, and it sits in a little spread-out bundle at the top of the back of the dog. You can draw this tail by extending some curved lines up and outward, almost like a fountain of hair.
Then, we will also be drawing the central portion of the body.
As we mentioned, this dog has a curtain of hair surrounding the body, and you can represent that with some more curvy lines in this middle section.
Once this part is drawn, you can then prepare to finish off the final details and elements in the next step of the guide.
Step 5 – Add the final details to your Shih Tzu drawing
Now you’re ready to finish off this drawing to have you ready for the final step of this guide on how to draw a Shih Tzu.
First, finish off the body by using some more long, curved lines to complete the final section of the hair ‘curtain’ surrounding the body.
Once the body is complete, we can then draw some more details onto the face to increase the furriness of that area. You can also add some more details to the eyes by drawing some pupils.
Then you will be ready for the final step! Be sure to also add a background or any additional elements that you think would suit this image.
Step 6 – Finish off your Shih Tzu drawing with color
For the final step of this Shih Tzu drawing, we will finish off with some color. In our reference image, we chose to color the dog with some white sections alternating with brown ones.
For a nice contrast, we used a lovely pink shade for the little bow in the hair of the head.
Will you go for similar colors to these or do you have another color scheme in mind for this adorable little dog? We can’t wait to see what you go for!
5 Tips To Make Your Shih Tzu Drawing Even Better!
Make your adorable Shih Tzu sketch look even better with these 5 tips to try!
The drawing of a Shih Tzu that we created in this guide has a small pink ribbon in its hair for extra cuteness. These kinds of accessories could be changed or added in order to make it even better!
This could be as simple as changing the color of the ribbon, or you could make it bigger. What are some other simple accessories you could add?
All dogs love to play, and you could give this cute Shih Tzu something to play with by adding some toys. These could be small chew toys, teddy bears or any other toys you think it would enjoy.
These will also make it so that there is more to admire in this picture along with some great colors!
Once you have added all of the toys you think this Shih Tzu could use, you could then add some other objects and accessories to your Shih Tzu drawing.
These could be simple, such as a water bowl or a food bowl. While you’re at it, you could add a nice pile of food or some treats for the cutie to enjoy!
If you can think of any practical items a dog could use, then you should definitely go ahead and add them.
What could be better than owning a Shih Tzu? Owning two, of course! We think it would be great to add a second Shih Tzu dog to the picture, and this should be easier because you have done it once already.
Adding other dog breeds you love would also be a great option!
Finally, you could show where the dog in this Shih Tzu sketch is hanging out by adding a background. Maybe you could base the background on an area in your own house.
Or, the dog could be in a dog park or some other fun outdoors area. Don’t be shy about using something inventive and fun for your background!
Your Shih Tzu Drawing is Complete!
All 6 steps of this guide on how to draw a Shih Tzu have been completed, and you have a really cute picture to show for it!
Now that it is complete, we hope that you found this to be a fun and easy experience when you had these steps breaking down the finer details.
You can also take over and show us what you can do by adding some more details and ideas of your own! What will you add to personalize this drawing even more?
Then, on our website we have a ton of awesome drawing guides waiting for you! We have a huge selection with more on the way soon, so keep checking in to enjoy our ever-growing selection.
We would also love it if you would share your finished Shih Tzu drawing on our Facebook and Pinterest pages so we can see how it turned out!
