What time is it? Adventure Time! For years, this iconic show has captured our hearts with its whimsical world, hilarious characters, and surprisingly deep stories. And at the very center of it all is the magical, stretchy, and endlessly loyal Jake the Dog.
He’s more than just Finn’s best friend; he’s a shape-shifting, viola-playing, bacon-pancake-making icon. His design seems so beautifully simple, yet capturing that perfect “Jake” look can be surprisingly tricky.
You might have tried doodling him in your notebook, only to find his eyes are a weird size, his body looks like a lumpy bean, or his legs just don’t feel right.
The brilliant simplicity of Pendleton Ward’s character designs is what makes them so memorable, but it also means that every line and curve counts. Getting the proportions just right is key to capturing his fun-loving spirit.
This guide is here to take the mystery out of it and show you, step-by-step, how to draw Jake the Dog perfectly.
We’ll break down his seemingly simple form into even simpler shapes, guiding you through every line and curve. Whether you’re a total beginner or just looking to refine your fan art, get ready to bring your favorite magical dog to life on paper!
Table of Contents
The Secret to Jake’s Shape: It’s All About the Beans
Before we start drawing, let’s understand the core philosophy behind Jake’s design. He is not a complex anatomical figure. He is, essentially, a collection of soft, rounded, and bean-like shapes. The key to drawing him successfully is to stop thinking “dog” and start thinking “beans and noodles.”
- The Body: Jake’s basic body is a long, horizontal bean or a soft, rounded rectangle. It’s flexible and organic.
- The Muzzle: His iconic snout is just another, smaller bean shape stuck onto the front of the main body bean.
- The Eyes: Two large, perfect circles are the windows to his soul. Their size and placement are crucial.
- The Limbs: Jake’s arms and legs are like simple, cooked noodles. They are floppy, lack any real muscle definition, and can bend in fun, expressive ways.
By embracing this “bean and noodle” philosophy, you’ll find the entire drawing process becomes much more intuitive and fun. It’s about capturing a feeling of softness and stretchiness, not rigid accuracy.
Gathering Your Artistic Adventure Supplies
You don’t need a treasure chest of magical items to draw Jake. In fact, his simple design lends itself perfectly to basic art supplies.
- Pencil: A standard #2 or HB pencil is perfect for the initial sketch. The most important thing is to draw with a light hand at first, so your guidelines are easy to erase.
- Eraser: A good-quality eraser is your best friend for cleaning up construction lines and any little mistakes.
- Paper: Any clean sheet of paper from a sketchbook or even printer paper will work great.
- Black Marker or Pen: To get that classic, bold cartoon outline, a fine-tip black marker (like a Micron pen or a Sharpie pen) is essential for the final inking stage.
- Colors (Optional): To bring Jake to life, you’ll need his signature golden-yellow color. A marker or colored pencil in a bright, mustard-yellow or goldenrod shade is perfect.
How to Draw Jake the Dog: A Step-by-Step Guide
We’ll be drawing Jake in his classic, standing pose. This is a great starting point for learning his fundamental proportions. Remember to draw very lightly for the first few steps!
Step 1: Draw the Main Body “Bean”
Let’s start with Jake’s core shape.
- Draw a Long, Horizontal Oval: In the middle of your paper, lightly sketch a long, fat oval or a rectangle with very rounded corners. This is his entire torso. It should be longer than it is tall. Think of a potato or a large jelly bean lying on its side. This is the main mass of Jake the Dog.
Step 2: Add the Muzzle and the Jowls
Now, let’s add his most recognizable facial feature: his floppy snout.
- Draw the Muzzle Bean: On the left end of your main body oval, draw a smaller, U-shaped or bean-like oval for his muzzle. It should overlap slightly with the main body. This shape should droop down a bit, giving him his classic jowly look.
- Connect the Jowls: Draw a simple, curved line on the bottom that connects the muzzle back to the main body. This line defines his saggy jowls.
At this point, your drawing should look like two rounded, connected blobs. This is the perfect foundation.
Step 3: Sketching the Legs and Tail
Time to give Jake something to stand on. Remember the “noodle” principle!
- Draw the Front Legs: From the front part of the body’s underside, draw two simple, parallel noodle-like shapes for his front legs. They should be short and stubby. There’s no need for paws or joints; they are just soft cylinders.
- Draw the Back Legs: Repeat the same process for the back legs, drawing two more short, noodle-like shapes from the rear underside of the body.
- Add the Tail: From the top right side of his back, draw a small, slightly curved, pointy shape for his tail. It’s a simple, quick flick of the wrist.
Step 4: Placing the Iconic Eyes and Nose
This step is critical for capturing Jake’s expression. The size and placement of his eyes define his entire personality.
- Draw the Eyes: Jake’s eyes are two large, perfect circles. They should sit right on the “seam” where the muzzle connects to the main body. They are not fully on the head or fully on the snout; they straddle the line. Make them big and round. They should be quite close together, with only a small gap between them.
- Draw the Pupils: Inside each eye, draw a small, solid black dot for the pupil. Don’t place them perfectly in the center. Having them both look slightly to one side will give him more life and expression.
- Draw the Nose: At the very end of the muzzle, draw a small, horizontal oval for his nose.
Step 5: Adding the Final Details
We’re almost there! Let’s add the last few lines that will complete our Jake drawing.
- Draw the Jowl Line: From the bottom of the nose, draw a wavy or “W” shaped line that curves back along the bottom of the muzzle. This defines his mouth and famous jowls.
- Draw the Ears: Jake’s ears are long, droopy, and very simple. On the top of his head, on either side, draw two long, hanging U-shapes. They should be floppy and hang down past his jowls.
Step 6: Inking Your Drawing
Now it’s time to commit to your lines and give your drawing that clean, official Adventure Time look.
- Trace Your Lines: Using your black pen or fine-tip marker, carefully trace over your final pencil lines. Use a confident, smooth hand. The art style of the show uses a consistent line weight, so try not to vary the thickness of your lines too much.
- Fill in the Pupils and Nose: Fill in the pupils and the nose with your black marker to make them solid black.
- Erase the Pencil Marks: Let the ink dry completely for a minute or two to prevent smudging. Then, use your eraser to get rid of all the underlying pencil sketches and guidelines. You’ll be left with a crisp, clean drawing of Jake.
Step 7: Adding His Signature Color
The final step is to bring Jake to life with his iconic golden-yellow hue.
- Choose Your Yellow: You’re looking for a warm, mustardy, or goldenrod yellow. It’s not a bright, lemony yellow.
- Color Him In: Using your marker or colored pencil, carefully fill in his entire body, head, limbs, and ears. Try to get a smooth, even coat of color. Leave the eyes white.
And that’s it! Mathematical! You have successfully learned how to draw Jake the Dog.
Level Up: Drawing Jake in Different Shapes
Now that you’ve mastered his basic form, the real fun of drawing Jake can begin. His defining feature is his ability to stretch and morph into anything he can imagine. Here’s how to start experimenting.
- Stretchy Jake: To draw him stretching, simply elongate his body “bean” into a long snake-like shape. You can have him wrap around a tree or stretch his arm across the page. The face and limbs remain the same, just attached to a longer body.
- Key-Hand Jake: A classic Jake move! Draw his arm as a normal noodle, but instead of a simple rounded end, draw the shape of an old-fashioned key.
- Jake the Car: Draw the basic shape of a car, but give it Jake’s face on the front, with his eyes as the headlights and his nose as the grille.
- Different Expressions: The key to Jake’s expressions is in his eyes and mouth. For a surprised look, make his pupils tiny. For a happy look, make his jowl line curve up into a smile. For a mischievous look, give him a sly, half-closed eyelid.
By thinking of his body as a flexible, magical clay, you can start to pose him in countless fun and dynamic ways.
Conclusion: Your Art Adventure Has Just Begun
Congratulations! You’ve successfully broken down the simple genius of Jake’s design and learned how to draw him with confidence. By thinking in terms of simple shapes and following the steps, you’ve not only created some awesome fan art but also learned a fundamental principle of cartooning.
Don’t stop here. The best way to get better at drawing is to keep doing it. Draw Jake again, but this time, try to make him wave. Draw him sitting down. Try drawing his best pal, Finn, right next to him. The Land of Ooo is your oyster!
Every time you draw, you are honing your skills and building your artistic confidence. Keep this guide, grab a fresh sheet of paper, and see what kind of wacky shapes and adventures you can dream up for Jake. The most important thing is to have fun and let your creativity flow. Happy drawing
