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How to Draw a Houndstooth Pattern
Draw a houndstooth pattern in 12 easy steps, about 9 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.
Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: the square.
Step 1: The square
In the middle of your paper draw a big square with softly rounded corners, nearly as big as your page.
Step 2: Light lines down
Press softly. Draw 4 light lines from the top edge to the bottom edge, making 5 even columns.
Tip Light lines rub out easily later.
Step 3: Light lines across
Still pressing softly, draw 4 light lines from the left edge to the right edge. Now you have 25 boxes.
Step 4: Two slanted lines
From the top edge at the second and fourth light lines, draw 2 slanted lines down to the left edge.
Tip Press firmly now. Each line runs corner to corner through the boxes.
Step 5: Two more slanted lines
From the right edge at the first and third light lines, draw 2 slanted lines down to the bottom edge.
Step 6: Light lines above
Press softly again. Half a box above each slanted line, draw a light slanted line from edge to edge.
Tip These pass through the middles of the box sides.
Step 7: Light lines below
Half a box below each slanted line, draw one more light slanted line from edge to edge.
Step 8: Sparkles
Draw 4 small sparkle stars just off the corners of the square.
Step 9: Yellow sparkles
Colour the 4 sparkles yellow.
Step 10: Black boxes
Colour 9 boxes black: the 4 corners, the middle box of each side and the centre box.
Tip Skip a box between black boxes, across and down.
Step 11: Long black teeth
Beside each firm line, colour 1 stripe black per box: the one climbing up and right from a black box.
Tip There are 12 of these stripes.
Step 12: Small black teeth
In those 12 boxes, colour black the corner triangle not touching the black stripe. Rub out the light lines.
Tip Each box now goes black, white, black, white.
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a houndstooth pattern, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
