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Learn to draw a Yorkshire Terrier with clear head-to-body ratio guides, step-by-step ear shapes, and a practice outline for independent drawing.
This lesson teaches a repeatable method for drawing a Yorkie using simple proportion guides. You will establish a head-to-body ratio, shape the characteristic small upright ears, and build a blank outline you can complete independently. The approach uses a defined convention: x-height is measured from baseline to midline, and individual poses vary, so treat all numerical values as hypothetical examples you can adjust to your own drawing surface. No prior breed-specific experience is needed, but you should be comfortable drawing basic circles and ovals.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Begin by drawing a light horizontal baseline and a midline above it. The distance between them is your x-height, a flexible unit for comparing parts. For a Yorkie, a common working ratio is head length to body length of about 1 to 1.6, but this is a hypothetical example; measure your own paper and choose a ratio that fits the pose you want.
Mark the head as an oval whose height equals one x-height. Then mark the body as a longer oval whose length is roughly 1.6 x-heights. Keep both ovals centered on the same vertical axis so the dog reads as balanced. Use a soft pencil so these guides can be erased later.
Yorkie ears are small, upright, and V-shaped with a slight forward tilt. Draw each ear as a narrow triangle whose base sits on the top half of the head oval. The ear height should be about half an x-height, again a hypothetical guide. Avoid making the ears too wide; a narrow base keeps the silhouette breed-specific.
Because individual poses vary, there is no single correct ear outline. A rounded tip or a slightly curved edge can still read as a Yorkie if the ear remains small and upright. Use the rubric to judge whether your ear shape communicates the breed rather than matching one exact template.
Once the head, ears, and body ovals are placed, trace a single outline around them, leaving the face and legs as open areas. This blank outline is your independent drawing surface. Add a short muzzle line and two small eye marks, but leave fur texture and paw details for your own completion.
Use the x-height convention to check the outline: the head should still measure one x-height, and the body should remain close to 1.6 x-heights. If the outline drifts, adjust the guides rather than the finished contour. This keeps the proportions checkable and consistent.
A learner draws a head oval 4 cm tall and a body oval 7 cm long. Using the hypothetical 1 to 1.6 ratio, is the body length acceptable?
Yes. One x-height is 4 cm, so 1.6 x-heights is 6.4 cm. The body is 7 cm, only 0.6 cm longer than the guide, which is close enough for a working outline. The learner can shorten the body slightly or keep it as a valid variation.
A head oval is 5 cm tall. Using the hypothetical 1 to 1.6 ratio, what body length should you mark?
8 cm.
Why: One x-height is 5 cm. Multiply by 1.6 to get 8 cm for the body length guide.
Check: Measure the body oval with a ruler and confirm it is about 8 cm, or record your chosen variation.
Your ear height is 3 cm and your x-height is 5 cm. Is the ear close to the hypothetical half-x-height guide?
No, 3 cm is more than half of 5 cm. Half an x-height would be 2.5 cm.
Why: The guide suggests ear height near half an x-height. Half of 5 cm is 2.5 cm, so 3 cm is 0.5 cm too tall.
Check: Compare the ear height to half the head height and adjust if the ear looks too large.
A learner’s body oval is 9 cm and the head oval is 4 cm. What is the actual head-to-body ratio, and how does it compare to 1 to 1.6?
The ratio is 1 to 2.25, which is longer than the hypothetical 1 to 1.6 guide.
Why: Divide body length by head length: 9 divided by 4 equals 2.25. The guide would give 6.4 cm for the body, so 9 cm is much longer.
Check: Re-measure both ovals and shorten the body if you want to match the guide.
You have drawn a head oval and two ear triangles, but the ears sit on the lower half of the head. What should you change, and what will you check afterward?
Move the ear bases to the top half of the head oval, then check that each ear is small, upright, and about half an x-height tall.
Why: Yorkie ears should sit high on the head. Moving the bases upward restores the breed-specific silhouette.
Check: Measure ear height against half the head height and confirm the bases are above the head oval’s midline.
No. That is a hypothetical example. Choose a ratio that fits your drawing surface and pose, then keep it consistent.
X-height is the distance from your baseline to your midline. It is a flexible unit for comparing head and body sizes.
Yes. Individual poses vary, and a small upright ear with a rounded tip can still read as a Yorkie if the base is narrow.
The head measures one x-height, the body is close to your chosen ratio, and the ears sit on the top half of the head.