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29 Dog Coloring Pages for Download (Printable PDF)

When you begin coloring dog pictures, you can discover some of the same rewards as those who draw or paint pictures of dogs. You avoid the challenge of getting the dog to sit still for a photo or a live modeling session though.

Welcome to our collection of free dog coloring pages. Click the dog pictures or illustrations you like and you’ll be taken to the PDF download and/or print page. Every dog coloring page is a printable PDF and/or can be downloaded.

dog coloring pages

And if you want to learn how to draw a dog in 8 easy steps, simply click here! or watch detailed video instructions here

A dog running in the backyard with trees, fence, and sky.

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Happy dog playing with a ball on a field with trees and grass.

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Illustration of a dog on a walk path with trees and mountains.

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Illustration of a happy furry dog with festival hanging decoration.

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Dog Coloring Pages Background Details

You can color an existing line drawing of a dog and make it look like a painting or drawing simply by the color you use and the brushstrokes. Get to know the typical colors of each dog breed. This includes whether they usually have straight or curly fur or whether their noses typically appear as pink, or if they have the colors of their fur on them. When you learn the shapes and proportions of a dog breed, such as a Pomeranian or French bulldog, you can better capture how the animal would appear in reality. You learn the basics of portraiture to create a better coloring page.

Rather than coloring the dog’s fur a solid color, try drawing it in with brushstrokes. Vary the fur in color, curliness, and length. Since in real life, the dog’s fur grows in all directions, draw it this way using your crayons or colored pencils. Look at photos of actual dogs to determine what the fur should look like, then sketch it that way on the coloring page. Use different shades of the same color to provide depth of color and make it look more like real fur. Fur becomes more obvious in a long-haired dog and will fall in different directions. Short-haired dogs, such as a chihuahua, show their muscle structure more clearly.

Start by observing where the highlight in the dog’s eyes is. Draw this, then the size of the pupil (black part of the eye), then the size of the iris (colored part) and then the rest of the eye. If you get the highlights in a dog’s eyes in the correct place and in the correct proportion, the eyes will look right.

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, so color the dogs’ eyes soulfully. Many dogs have brown eyes, but some dogs, like German Shepherds, have blue eyes. On most miniature dogs, the irises aren’t visible. Occasionally, a dog has two different colored eyes, such as one blue and one brown.

Remember to shade the dog’s ears according to the shadows that would actually occur, such as the difference between one ear perked to a sound while the other one was folded back on itself, something common to man’s best friend.

Shadows also play an important part in a life-like drawing of a dog. When you color an already drawn picture, you can shadow it to make it look as if you drew it. This also requires studying the various dog breeds, since many have specific characteristics of their limbs, such as the claws of an English bulldog not touching the ground. Conversely, a Doberman pinscher’s claws go past its paw pads, so you should draw it this way.

Color the tail, too. It is an extension of the dog’s spine, plus it indicates its mood. When you color the tail, color it in the direction the fur grows. Choose realistic colors and color in the appropriate direction. You aren’t Pollock, nor should you go for a Matisse look. Try to stick to the school of realism.

Instead of just coloring the picture itself, also color and shade the background. Look at photos of actual dogs against a similar background. Color and shade the background as light would actually fall.

You can use these tips to create gorgeous art out of a coloring book or free printable coloring pages you find online. You can make a puppy or dog coloring sheet into custom artwork with the right techniques.

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