How to draw a chihuahua - a free chihuahua drawing guide
Draw a chihuahua step by step using simple shapes, outlines, and shading techniques. Practice proportions, facial expression, and coloring to finish a portrait.
Photos of chihuahua drawing examples
Step-by-step guide to draw a chihuahua
How to Draw a CHIHUAHUA (Easy Step-by-Step!) | Dog Drawing Tutorial for Beginners
Step 1
Gather your materials and sit at a clean flat workspace.
Step 2
Lightly draw a circle for the chihuahua’s head and a small oval beneath it for the body.
Step 3
Draw a vertical line and a horizontal line crossing the head to mark where the face features will go.
Step 4
Add two large triangular ears on top of the head, tilting them slightly outward.
Step 5
Draw almond-shaped eyes on the horizontal guideline and include small pupils.
Step 6
Sketch a small rounded triangle at the bottom of the vertical guideline for the nose.
Step 7
Draw a short curved line under the nose to make the mouth.
Step 8
Draw two short neck lines to connect the head to the body.
Step 9
Sketch two slender front legs beneath the front of the body using long ovals.
Step 10
Sketch two hind legs and a curved tail at the back of the body.
Step 11
Trace a smooth outline over your sketch to form the chihuahua’s final silhouette.
Step 12
Erase the extra construction lines and stray pencil marks.
Step 13
Add short fur strokes and light shading under the chin belly and inside the ears using your pencil and tissue to blend.
Step 14
Color your chihuahua portrait with your coloring materials and add small highlights with your eraser.
Step 15
Share your finished chihuahua portrait on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
I don't have a tissue or a kneaded eraser — what can I use instead for blending and highlights?
Use a cotton swab or a folded soft cloth to blend the light shading under the chin, belly and inside the ears, and lift small highlights with the corner of a regular white eraser or a tightly rolled piece of tissue.
My chihuahua's ears or facial features look lopsided — how can I fix proportions before tracing the final silhouette?
Double-check and lightly redraw the vertical and horizontal guidelines on the head to realign the almond-shaped eyes, nose triangle and tilted triangular ears, then adjust ear angles and eye placement before tracing the smooth outline.
How can I adapt this activity for younger children or older kids who want more challenge?
For younger kids simplify to big shapes only (one circle head and one oval body) and use thick markers for bold outlines, while older kids can refine slender front legs, add more short fur strokes, detailed pupils, and blended shading with a tissue.
What are good ways to personalize or extend the chihuahua portrait after finishing the basic steps?
Add a patterned collar, draw a background like a couch or park, try different coloring materials such as colored pencils or watercolors for texture, or make a series of chihuahuas with varied ear tilts and tail curves and share them on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw a chihuahua
How to Draw a Cute Chihuahua Dog 🐶 | Step-by-Step for Beginners
4 Videos
How to Draw a Cute Chihuahua Dog 🐶 | Step-by-Step for Beginners
How to Draw a Chihuahua Easy
How to Draw a Cute Chihuahua Easy Dog Drawing for Kids & Beginners #lidoartworks
How to Draw a Chihuahua - Step-by-Step Dog Breed Drawing with Markers
Facts about animal drawing for kids
🐶 Chihuahuas are the smallest dog breed—some weigh less than 6 pounds (2.7 kg)!
✏️ Artists often begin drawings with simple shapes (circles, ovals, triangles) to get the proportions right.
👀 A Chihuahua's big eyes and ears are super important for capturing its personality in a portrait.
🎨 Shading techniques like hatching and blending make fur look soft and three-dimensional.
🐾 Chihuahuas come in many coat colors and patterns—using a photo reference helps match the markings.
