Moxie

Hi there! I hope you don't mind, but I read in your journal/profile that you're wanting some advice on improvement, so I'd like to try to offer a little constructive criticism that I hope will be useful for you.

Animals are hard. Anything that can move is hard, because you have to get the sketch done fast before it moves - if you sketch it out first. A lot of professional artists recommend that, since it helps to make sure you fit all the pieces in.

One of the things I love about this work is the ears. They're wonderfully drawn. The shape is excellent, and the inner shadows are very nicely done.

The muzzle is also very nice. The nose and the way you've drawn her mouth are both realistic. With this scale I can understand that it would be hard to draw teeth in, but that's certainly something to think about when you draw the next piece you mentioned wanting to do.

I also like the way you've accounted for her fur around her head, rather than drawing her lean. Since she's not a thin breed given the way you've drawn her body, it's excellent that you included that detail.

With respect to her face, though, I would recommend working on the eyes. The different shapes are understandable to a degree, especially with the way dogs move their facial muscles. I would recommend, though, making them slightly rounder, and less ovoid like human eyes. They aren't perfect circles, but they do have more of a round shape. You may also wish to take care with how the pupil sits within the iris.

Overall, though, the head is beautifully done. I think you did a superb job capturing playfulness in her expression, as she certainly looks happy-go-lucky.

For the body, I would recommend possibly looking at some tutorials to help with shape. This one gives terrific examples of shape and line sketching. It has links to other tutorials as well, and each one has its own strengths, even though none of them address everything.

Legs are some of the hardest parts to draw with animals. This tutorial does a great job of showing legs, but only from one angle. There are a few others that you can reference given the angle you've drawn Moxie from here: this one shows various angles and also demonstrates the line/shape technique; this one shows the side view of the legs, which is the position you have her paws in; this one isn't really a tutorial, but it does show the various lines for the hind quarters.

One thing I would be remiss if I didn't mention is that she is missing one of her rear legs. I realize you may have left it out because of the angle of the image, and that is another reason to use shape/line sketches to start drawings.

Mind you, I'm only suggesting the tutorials as ways to improve. You've already got an excellent start, and I think they might help you to build upon what you've already drawn to make an even stronger image for your next piece.

I do thank you kindly for sharing this piece, and I do hope you continue practicing your skills and growing as an artist.