The fifth stop in my A–Z dog breed art adventure brings us a lovable, wrinkly English Bulldog!

Welcome back to Inktober 2026: Lexicon Lands, my alphabetical journey through the wonderful world of dog breeds!

So far, we've explored the Akita, Bull Terrier, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, and Dalmatian. Now we've reached the letter E, which stands for the unmistakable English Bulldog!

With its wrinkled face, broad shoulders, drooping jowls, and sturdy build, the English Bulldog has an appearance unlike almost any other breed. For this illustration, I wanted to capture those distinctive characteristics through traditional black, white, and grey ink techniques.

Meet the English Bulldog

English Bulldogs are instantly recognizable thanks to their stocky bodies, short muzzles, expressive faces, and signature wrinkles.

Although Bulldogs have a muscular appearance, they're also known for their affectionate personalities and generally relaxed temperaments.

One of my favorite things about drawing different dog breeds is discovering how their physical characteristics influence the artwork.

For this English Bulldog, the facial wrinkles, folds of skin, and rounded body provided plenty of opportunities to experiment with shading, linework, and contrast.

I chose to illustrate the Bulldog in a seated position, allowing its broad chest, sturdy front legs, and expressive face to become the main focus.

Starting With Pencil and Eraser

Like the previous illustrations in my Lexicon Lands series, this drawing began with a mechanical pencil and kneaded eraser.

I started by sketching the overall shape of the Bulldog, establishing the proportions of its head, body, and legs.

The face was especially important because English Bulldogs have so many distinctive features.

I paid particular attention to:

• The folds and wrinkles around the forehead and eyes

• The short muzzle and drooping jowls

• The broad neck and chest

• The muscular shoulders and sturdy legs

• The seated posture and rounded hindquarters

The kneaded eraser helped me refine the sketch and remove unnecessary pencil marks before moving into the inking process.

Creating Grey Tones With Ink and a Watercolor Brush

Once I was satisfied with the pencil sketch, I began applying the grey tones.

Rather than using traditional watercolor paints, I used ink applied with a watercolor brush.

This technique allowed me to create different values of grey while keeping the artwork within the black, white, and grey color palette of my Inktober challenge.

I used these grey tones to establish shadows around the Bulldog's wrinkles, face, shoulders, back, and hind legs.

The larger shaded areas along the body help give the Bulldog a sense of weight and dimension, while the lighter areas create contrast.

One of the things I enjoy about this technique is how the grey ink interacts with the texture of the paper, giving the illustration a traditional handmade appearance.

Adding Black and White Ink With a Dip Pen

After applying the grey tones, I moved on to the black-and-white ink details using my dip pen.

This stage helped bring the drawing together.

The darker outlines emphasize the Bulldog's silhouette, while the finer lines define its facial wrinkles, folds of skin, paws, and other features.

I also incorporated white ink details to create highlights and additional contrast against the darker areas.

The combination of grey ink shading and black-and-white dip-pen work helps distinguish the different forms of the Bulldog without relying on color.

For this particular illustration, I especially enjoyed working on the face, where the mixture of dark outlines, wrinkles, and lighter highlights gives the Bulldog its expression.

Finishing the Original With an Acrylic Paint Pen

For the original physical artwork, I added a rectangular border using an acrylic paint pen.

This border gives the drawing a framed appearance and helps establish a consistent presentation across my Inktober 2026 illustrations.

I also signed and dated the artwork.

Editing the Artwork With Snapseed and Procreate

After completing the physical drawing, I photographed it and continued preparing the digital image using Snapseed and Procreate.

These programs helped me refine the digital presentation of the artwork while maintaining the appearance of the original ink illustration.

Snapseed and Procreate have become useful parts of my workflow because they allow me to prepare my traditional artwork for online sharing and art prints.

Although the finished digital image has been edited, the Bulldog itself was drawn and inked by hand.

E Is for English Bulldog – The Fifth Letter of Lexicon Lands

This English Bulldog represents the fifth entry in my Inktober 2026: Lexicon Lands collection.

My goal for this challenge is to create an original illustration for every letter of the alphabet, with each letter featuring a different dog breed.

The collection will include 26 alphabet-themed breed illustrations, plus a special wildcard drawing featuring Valor, my Swiss Shepherd mascot.

I'm also planning to use the artwork as the foundation for a Lexicon Lands playing-card-inspired project.

As the challenge continues, the collection will grow into a celebration of different dog breeds, their distinctive appearances, and the creative possibilities of traditional ink drawing.

With the English Bulldog completed, the next letter will be F Is for Flat-Coated Retriever!

Bring Home the English Bulldog Artwork

If you enjoy English Bulldogs, traditional ink illustrations, or collecting dog-inspired artwork, this piece is now available through my online art store.

Inktober 2026 – E Is for English Bulldog

Shop the artwork hereDiscover E Is for English Bulldog from Inktober 2026: Lexicon Lands. See how Justyn Simon created this hand-drawn dog illustration with black, white, and grey ink.

Follow Along With Inktober 2026

Thank you for following my Inktober 2026 journey!

Each new letter gives me an opportunity to explore another breed, practice traditional drawing techniques, and expand the growing Lexicon Lands collection.

From the Akita's powerful appearance to the English Bulldog's unmistakable wrinkles, every breed has something unique to offer.

Stay tuned as I continue working through the alphabet, one dog at a time!

Next up: F Is for Flat-Coated Retriever!

Created by Justyn Simon – The Artistic Shepherd

Inktober 2026: Lexicon Lands – A World of Dogs, One Letter at a Time.