Design Sketchbook Live #2: How to Draw a Dog House in Perspective

Hello, Design sketchers! :D

This tutorial guides beginner design sketchers through the process of drawing a dog house using foundational perspective principles and a strategic approach.

Why Beginners Lose Confidence and How to Unlock It

Many beginners struggle because they start by drawing only what they see directly, missing essential elements and perspective. This leads to inaccurate, wasted efforts and lost motivation.

To overcome this, you need to:

• See in transparency: Visualize all edges, including hidden ones, as if the object is transparent. This helps build a complete 3D understanding.
• Draw from general to details: Begin with simple volumes before adding details.
• Use geometry and simple 3D shapes: Break down complex forms into basic shapes like boxes and triangles to manage proportions and angles.

From Ugly Doodles to Neat Sketches: The Creation Process

Starting with quick rough doodles is crucial. These “ugly doodles” help explore concepts and proportions freely, without pressure for perfection. They are foundational for creativity and avoiding frustration.

Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing the Dog House

1. Start with Basic Boxes:
   Sketch a simple box to represent the main volume of the dog house.
2. Establish a 2-Point Perspective Setup:
   Place two vanishing points on the horizon line and draw guidelines to form the 3D box.
3. Add Roof Geometry:
   Use diagonals to locate the roof’s apex and connect lines back to vanishing points to form a symmetrical roof volume.
4. Draw Hidden Lines for Clarity:
   Include lines that represent edges not visible from your viewpoint to reinforce the object’s transparency and volume.
5. Create the Door and Other Features:
   Divide surfaces proportionally and project shapes into 3D perspective, keeping all geometric rules intact.
6. Refine with Thickness and Details:
   Add thickness to surfaces like the door and roof to enhance realism.

Important Sketching Tips

• Use light construction lines for initial shapes and volume—this keeps your sketch clean and guides the final lines.
• Train your pen pressure to differentiate construction lines (very light) from visible edges (darker).
• Practice iterative sketching by layering over mistakes instead of erasing, allowing you to progress faster.
• Use thumbnail sketches to try multiple viewpoints and compositions quickly.

The Big Picture: Combining Idea Generation and Presentation

Sketching isn’t just about neat final lines. It’s a process of ideation followed by professional presentation skills. Mastering both turns you into a confident product designer.

Why This Matters

By learning how to construct your dog house correctly in perspective, you develop visual-spatial skills that apply to many other products and designs. It trains your mind to visualize in 3D and to communicate your ideas clearly on paper.

Join the Learning Journey

Beginner designers can accelerate their progress by following step-by-step tutorials, practicing regularly, and embracing both creative freedom and disciplined construction rules.

For those interested, consider joining my upcoming 6-week beginner course to gain structured lessons, community support, and personalized feedback.

It’s my second time I do a Sketching live tutorial for you guys on Facebook! It was a real pleasure to help you, and interact with you on Live! Below you can find the replay and practice!

We’ll cover in 1 hour, these 3 sketching points: 

Part 1- Why most beginners lose confidence from start and what they should know to unlock their fear using these 3 design sketching principles :

• To see in transparency
• Draw from general to details
• Sketch using geometry using simple 3D volumes

Part 2- We’ll cover the process of creation of a designer from the ugly doodle to the neat sketch. And point out the importance of starting a project making “ugly doodles”! 

Part 3- Then I give you a step-by-step tutorial on How to Draw a Dog House!!  It’s a super example to introduce you to 2 point perspective and how to start sketching with STRATEGY. 

Take care.
Cheers,
Chou-Tac