Want to know how to draw a white dog on white paper but can’t seem to wrap your head around it? We’re here to walk you through it so you can tackle pet portraits, wildlife drawing, and more. The trick is using contrast, layering, and smart colour choices to bring that soft fur to life without overdoing it.

Start by sketching out the basic outline of your animal using a pencil. Once that’s in place, study your reference image closely – pay attention to which direction the fur grows in different areas, like around the eyes, muzzle, ears, and neck. This will help with realistic shading later on.

Next, block in your darkest areas first. That’s usually the eyes, nose, and some shadows around the face. Use a black fineliner to define crisp edges for the eyes but don’t forget to leave white space for those eye-catching highlights!

To make fine white hairs stand out, you’ll want to use a fine-tip tool (we went with a clay tool) to lightly carve lines into the paper. This technique is great for drawing delicate details like whiskers or ear hairs – they’ll stay white even when coloured over later.

Now comes the fun part: building the fur up with colour. Strangely, white fur isn’t just white – it usually includes subtle shades like grey, cool blues, or even light browns. Zoom in on your reference photo (if it’s digital) to spot those hidden tones at a pixel-level and pick your pencil colours accordingly. For this drawing, we used soft greys and blues for the fur, a bit of pink in the inner ears, and sienna for warmth around the ears and muzzle.

Shade lightly for soft areas like the cheeks and use firmer pressure in darker zones like under the jaw or behind the ears. Always draw in the direction the fur grows for a natural, realistic texture. Use a blending stump or your finger to soften transitions and smooth out the fur layers in less-defined areas.

Finally, you can use a fine eraser to lift highlights as needed, great for creating those last little pops of light and dimension.

With patience and practice, you’ll be drawing white fur in no time!