In 2013 author / illustrator Hazel Mitchell adopted a white poodle called Toby. Toby is the inspiration for Hazel’s newest picture book which will be published by Candlewick Press on September 13th. Hazel is visiting Story Snug today to show us how to draw Toby and she is also very generously giving away a copy of the book and a Toby Swag Bag.
The Story: When a young boy and his father move from one house to another, they decide to adopt a dog from the local rescue shelter. But their chosen dog, Toby, is having a tough time adjusting to his new life outside the shelter—howling all night, hiding fearfully from his new humans, forgetting where to go to the bathroom, and chasing a ball through the flower bed. The boy has promised to train his new companion, and he’s trying his best, but Dad is starting to get exasperated. Will Toby ever feel comfortable with his new family and settle into his forever home, or will Dad decide he’s not the right dog for them after all?
We hope that you have lots of fun drawing Toby!
1) First draw a big teardrop with an oval on top.
2) Then add ovals for his ears, 2 cucumber shapes for his front legs and 2 circles for his back paws.
3) Next draw a cross on his face so you can add his nose and eyes. And then add a banana for his tail!
4) Now we can add his face. Ovals for eyes, triangle nose and curved lines for eyebrows and mouth. You can add his collar and tag too! Easy!
5) Now we can draw his fur… make sure your wrist is loose. Toby’s ‘fur’ is really like scribble lines. Practise on another piece of paper first.
6) Last step… add some ‘hatching’ lines where there is shade and some pencil or paint shading. Voila!
Thank you so much for visiting us on Story Snug Hazel and for showing us how to draw Toby. You can download and print a PDF page with all the instructions here.
About Hazel Mitchell
Hazel has always loved drawing and still cannot be reliably left alone with a pencil. She has illustrated many books for children including Imani’s Moon, One Word Pearl, Animally and Where Do Fairies Go When It Snows? ‘Toby’ is her author-illustrator debut from Candlewick Press. Her work has received several awards and been recognised by Bank Street Books, Learning Magazine, Reading is Fundamental, Foreword Reviews, NYCReads365, Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles Charlotte/Mecklenburg, Chicago and Maine State libraries among others. Originally from England, where she attended art college and served in the Royal Navy, she now lives in Maine with her poodles Toby and Lucy and a cat called Sleep. Hazel is represented by Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown, NYC.
Congratulations to Pamela Courtney who won Toby’s book and swag bag in Hazel’s giveaway.
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