How to Draw Horses
Grab a pencil and climb into the drawing saddle to learn the easy way to draw horses.
Up next in How to Draw for Beginners (40 videos)
Learn how to draw with the drawing lessons in this Howcast video series.
You Will Need
- Pencil
- Paper
- Eraser
Steps
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Step 1
Draw body
Draw two circles leaving a space between them equal to half the circles' diameter. Connect the circles on the tops and bottoms with two lines gently dipped downward.
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Step 2
Add neck and head
Draw an elongated triangle pointed toward your page's top left corner to represent the neck. Attach a smaller triangle at the top, pointing it left, for the head.
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The proportion of the horse's body to the head varies with breed
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Step 3
Add legs
Add two downward pointing triangles, from the circle bottoms, for legs in full view. Add two more triangles behind these, positioning points slightly higher than the first two.
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The length of the legs is generally equal in length to the distance from the top of the head to the underbelly.
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Step 4
Refine contours
Round your shapes, erasing guidelines. Refine your contours, paying attention to joints, large muscle areas, and hooves.
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Step 5
Add details
Add an eye, nostril, mouth, and ear to the profile. Sketch in the mane and tail with lines sweeping in the direction of growth.
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Step 6
Apply markings and shade
Add specific breed markings and darken shadowed areas. A little horse sense goes a long way, so take your new knowledge and try drawing a zebra.
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Did you know? Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, has attracted horse racing fans since 1875.
