How To Draw Courage The Cowardly Dog – Amazing Step Guide

“The things I do for love!” If you hear that phrase and immediately picture a small, pink, perpetually terrified dog, then you’re in the right place.

Courage the Cowardly Dog, the lovable and ironically brave star of the classic Cartoon Network show, is one of animation’s most iconic characters.

His unique design a blend of simple shapes, expressive features, and a whole lot of personality makes him an incredibly fun subject for artists of all levels.

Many fans want to learn how to draw Courage the Cowardly Dog but might feel intimidated by his distinct, slightly strange anatomy.

How do you get that perfectly round head? What about his long, skinny legs and that perpetually worried expression? You might think you need to be a professional animator to capture his essence.

The fantastic news is that Courage’s design is built on very simple geometric shapes, making him a perfect character for beginner artists to tackle.

This step-by-step guide will break down the entire process, from gathering your supplies to adding the final details.

We’ll show you how to construct his body, nail his facial expressions, and bring this beloved character to life on your own paper. Get ready to face your fears and draw!

Understanding the Anatomy of Courage

Before we start drawing, let’s break down the key features that make Courage instantly recognizable. Understanding his core design principles will make the drawing process much more intuitive.

Core Body Shape

Courage’s design is brilliantly simple. His body is almost like a soft, pliable cylinder or a slightly flattened beanbag.

• Torso: His main body is a simple, oblong shape, wider at the bottom and tapering slightly towards the neck. It’s soft and has very few hard lines.
• Limbs: His arms and legs are famously thin and almost noodle-like. They don’t have a lot of defined muscle but do have clear joints at the elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles.
• Paws: His paws are simple ovals, and he has three black dots on the top of his feet.
• The Back Spot: Don’t forget his signature! Courage has a large black spot on both sides of his lower back.

The Unforgettable Head and Face

Courage’s head is where most of his personality shines through. It’s disproportionately large compared to his body, which is a key part of his cartoonish charm.

• Head Shape: His head is a nearly perfect circle, but it’s often squashed and stretched to create different expressions.
• Ears: He has two long, thin, black ears that are incredibly expressive. They can stand straight up when he’s alert, droop down when he’s sad, or fly back when he’s screaming in terror.
• Muzzle and Nose: His muzzle is a prominent oval that juts out from his head. At the end of it sits his large, purple, triangular nose.
• Eyes: Courage’s eyes are simple white ovals with small black dots for pupils. Their size and shape change dramatically to show his emotions, from wide and round in fear to small squints when he’s suspicious.
• The Missing Tooth: A crucial detail is the single, large hole in his upper right set of teeth, which gives him his signature goofy grin.

Gathering Your Artistic Tools

You don’t need a full animation studio to draw Courage. A few basic art supplies will be more than enough to create a fantastic drawing.

Essential Drawing Supplies

• An HB Pencil: This is your all-purpose pencil, perfect for creating the light, initial construction lines of your drawing. These lines are easy to erase, allowing you to build your sketch without commitment.
• A 2B or 4B Pencil: These pencils have softer lead, which creates darker lines. They are perfect for firming up your final outlines and adding initial layers of shading.
• A Black Fineliner Pen (Optional): If you want to create a clean, cartoon-accurate look, you can use a black fineliner pen (like a Micron or Staedtler) to ink your final pencil lines.
• A Kneaded Eraser: This soft, moldable eraser is ideal for lifting out light pencil lines without smudging your drawing. You can shape it into a fine point to erase small details.
• Good Quality Drawing Paper: A simple sketchbook with smooth paper will work perfectly.

Color (Optional)

If you want to create a full-color drawing of Courage, you’ll also need:

• Pink: For his main body color.
• Purple: For his nose.
• Black: For his ears and back spots.
• Colored Pencils, Markers, or Watercolors: Choose your favorite medium! Markers will give you a vibrant, flat look similar to the cartoon, while colored pencils allow for more subtle shading.

How to Draw Courage The Cowardly Dog: Step-by-Step

We’ll be drawing Courage in his classic, slightly anxious-looking standing pose. Remember to use your HB pencil and draw very lightly for the first few steps. These are just guidelines that we will erase later.

Step 1: The Basic Head and Body Shapes

Let’s start by laying down the foundational shapes for Courage’s head and torso.

1. Draw the Head Circle: Lightly sketch a large circle. This will be Courage’s head. Don’t worry about making it perfect; an organic, slightly wobbly circle is fine.
2. Add the Body Shape: Below the head and slightly overlapping it, draw an oblong shape for the torso. It should look like a soft, upright potato or a beanbag that is wider at the bottom.
3. Add Center Guidelines: Draw a faint vertical line down the center of both the head and the body. Then, draw a horizontal line across the middle of the head. These guidelines will help us place his facial features correctly.

Step 2: Sketching the Muzzle and Nose

Now we’ll add Courage’s most prominent facial feature: his snout.

1. Draw the Muzzle Oval: Using the guidelines, draw a large horizontal oval on the head for the muzzle. It should sit just below the horizontal guideline and stick out to the left side of the vertical guideline.
2. Add the Nose: At the very tip of the muzzle oval, draw a large, rounded triangle for his purple nose.

Your sketch is now starting to take on that recognizable Courage silhouette.

Step 3: Adding the Eyes and Ears

This is where Courage’s famous expressions begin to take shape.

1. Draw the Eyes: On either side of the vertical guideline, and resting on top of the muzzle oval, draw two large ovals for his eyes. His left eye (on our right) should be slightly smaller than his right eye to create a sense of perspective.
2. Draw the Ears: On the top of his head, draw two long, thin, floppy ears. They should start near the top of the head and hang down past the jawline. For a classic Courage look, make one ear slightly higher and perkier than the other, as if he’s listening for something spooky.

Step 4: Drawing the Limbs and Paws

Let’s give Courage his skinny arms and legs.

1. Sketch the Arms: On either side of the upper body, draw two thin, noodle-like arms. They should have a slight bend at the elbow. End each arm with a simple oval for his hands/paws.
2. Sketch the Legs: At the bottom of the torso, draw two short, thin legs. They should be slightly bowed outwards.
3. Add the Feet: At the end of each leg, draw a larger oval shape for his feet. Courage’s feet are quite big in proportion to his legs.

Step 5: Refining the Face and Adding Details

Now we’ll turn our sketch into a real character by adding his unique facial details. It’s time to switch to a darker pencil (like a 2B) to firm up your lines.

1. Draw the Mouth: Underneath the muzzle, draw a wide, slightly wavy line for his mouth. Since he’s anxious, don’t make it a full smile. A nervous, wobbly line is perfect.
2. Add the Teeth and the Gap: Draw a line of upper teeth inside his mouth. Now for the most important part: erase a section on his upper right side to create his signature tooth gap!
3. Draw the Pupils: Inside his eyes, draw two small, solid black dots for pupils. Place them so he looks slightly off to the side, enhancing his worried expression.
4. Add Whiskers and Eyebrows: Draw three small dots on either side of his muzzle for whisker spots. Above his eyes, draw two tiny, thin, arched lines for his eyebrows.
5. Refine the Outline: Go over the main outline of the head and body, connecting all the shapes into a smooth, single form. You can now erase your initial light guidelines.

Step 6: Finalizing the Body and Inking

We’re in the home stretch! Let’s add the final details to his body.

1. Draw the Back Spot: On his lower back, draw a large, irregular oval for his spot. Since we’re drawing a side profile, you’ll only see one.
2. Add Paw Details: Add three small circles on the top of each foot.
3. Ink the Drawing (Optional): If you want that clean, cartoon look, carefully trace over your final pencil lines with a black fineliner pen. Use a confident, steady hand. Once the ink is completely dry (wait a few minutes), use your kneaded eraser to erase all the remaining pencil marks.
4. Fill in Black Areas: Using your pen or a black marker, fill in his ears, his nose, the spot on his back, and the pupils of his eyes.

Step 7: Adding Color

Your line art is complete! The final step is to bring him to life with color.

1. Color the Body: Using a light pink colored pencil or marker, color in Courage’s entire body, including his head and limbs.
2. Color the Nose: Use a vibrant purple for his nose.
3. Check Your Work: Step back and admire your finished drawing of Courage the Cowardly Dog!

Drawing Courage’s Famous Expressions

Now that you know how to draw his basic form, you can have fun by changing his expression. Courage is a master of emotional extremes!

• Terrified Courage: To draw his classic scream, make his eyes huge, wide circles with tiny pin-prick pupils. Draw his mouth stretched open into a massive, vibrating oval. His teeth should be chattering, and his tongue (uvula and all!) should be visible at the back of his throat. His ears and whiskers will be standing straight up in alarm.
• Happy Courage: For a rare moment of joy, give him crescent-shaped, closed eyes and a huge, wide smile that shows off his tooth gap. His ears might be relaxed and floppy.
• Suspicious Courage: When he’s figuring out a villain’s evil plan, make his eyes narrow slits. Give him a small, straight line for a mouth and maybe raise one eyebrow.

Conclusion: You Did It! You Faced the Blank Page!

Congratulations! You’ve successfully followed the steps for how to draw Courage the Cowardly Dog.

By breaking him down into simple shapes and building him up piece by piece, you’ve turned a blank page into a wonderful tribute to a beloved character. You’ve learned that even the most unique-looking cartoon characters are accessible when you have a clear plan.

Don’t let this be the end of your artistic adventure. The most important thing an artist can do is practice. Try drawing Courage again, but this time, put him in a different pose. Use the tips above to draw him mid-scream or sitting down with Muriel.

The more you draw him, the more comfortable you’ll become, and the more your own personal style will start to shine through.

Keep this guide handy, keep your pencils sharp, and don’t be afraid to fill your sketchbook with your own cartoon creations. You’ve proven you have the courage to try, and in art, that’s all that really matters. Happy drawing