What You'll Be Creating
Do you want to learn how to draw a realistic cow? In this tutorial, I will show you the whole process, explaining each step in detail. I will show you how to achieve correct proportions and anatomy with simple shapes. Whether you are a pro or a beginner, you will have tons of fun doing this tutorial!
This is a simple step by step cow drawing tutorial. If you are interested in more advanced lessons (on creating various drawings of bulls such as bison, South African buffalo and yak, their anatomy and features), then visit the following lesson:
1. How to Draw a Cow's Torso
Step 1
Draw an elongated rectangle. Don't use a ruler - it should be just a sketch! Also, don't press too hard on the pencil - these lines should be barely visible. This will be the outline of the rectangle that we will use as the torso of our cow.
Step 2
Divide the rectangle in half.
Step 3
Divide each half in half again.
Step 4
Draw an oval in the middle. Do not worry about the perfection of the figure! This will help us create the correct shape of the chest.
Step 5
Draw two ovals in quarters on both sides - the lower one for the forelegs and the upper one for the hips.
Step 6
Add two small ovals to the bottom oval for the forelimbs - the sternum on the bottom and the shoulder on top.
Step 7
Add a shoulder blade curve.
Step 8
Connect it to the front limb.
Step 9
Now let's move on to the hips. Draw two small ovals to highlight their projections.
Step 10
The sacrum should be slightly raised.
Step 11
Add a tail to the sacrum.
Step 12
Outline the torso. Don't press too hard on the pencil just yet!
Step 13
Let's add an udder under the thighs.
2. How to Draw a Cow's Head
Step 1
To create the correct proportions for the neck, draw it as a triangle extending from the shoulder.
Step 2
Add an oval to the top of this triangle.
Step 3
Draw a "head cross" in perspective. It is created using a line that runs along the entire head and an eyebrow line.
Step 4
Add an oval for the muzzle.
Step 5
Add oval cheeks.
Step 6
Draw the area for the eyes. Keep their location perspective!
Step 7
Draw the top of the muzzle.
Step 8
Add nostrils.
Step 9
Add ears.
Step 10
Draw a small oval for the top of the head to create space for the horns.
Step 11
Draw curves as horns.
Step 12
Draw "rings" along these curves to better see their 3D shape.
Step 13
Outline the shape of the horns.
Step 14
Add oval eyes.
Step 15
Add a brow bone above the eyes.
Step 16
Draw the mouth.
Step 17
Add details to the mouth: nose and corners of the lips.
Step 18
Finally, outline the neck and also correct the shape of the ear.
3. How to Draw the Limbs of a Cow
Step 1
Draw a vertical line slightly shorter than the height of the torso. Next, draw a horizontal line under it.
Step 2
Draw curves for the fore and hind limbs.
Step 3
To make the pose more interesting, we can shift the perspective a bit. Draw another ground line slightly above the other.
Step 4
Draw curves for another pair of limbs.
Step 5
Highlight the "wrists" and ankles.
Step 6
Highlight the upper limits of the hooves.
Step 7
Draw a circle on top of each hoof.
Step 8
The joints in the legs are quite complex and there aren't many muscles that can hide their shape, so pay close attention to them.
Step 9
Add the knee and upper forearm.
Step 10
Complete the hooves.
Step 11
Add a massive thigh.
Step 12
Add muscle mass to the forearms and shins.
Step 13
Outline the limbs.
4. Finishing the Drawing of the Cow
Next, we'll complete the drawing of the cow, so don't be afraid to press harder on the pencil to create the final lines. You can also place a new piece of paper on top of the sketch to separately draw the final lines.
Step 1
Draw all the details suggested by the guide lines. If you need help, then you can use the muscle diagram from the lesson.
Step 2
Add some volume to the darker elements: horns, eyes, nose and hooves. Outline the color of the cow (spots).
Step 3
Gently shade the cow to create a sense of depth.
Step 4
Darken the color of the cow (spots) using hatching.
Step 5
Adjust the contrast of the entire picture by adding darker shades. You can also darken the main outline of the torso.
Excellent Job!
We have a beautiful cow! If you liked this tutorial, you might also like the following tutorials:
Or perhaps some cow-related source resources for your project would be useful to you? You should check out what Envato Elements has to offer!
More than 9 thousand years ago, people domesticated a cow, and the animal became a breadwinner for humans, giving a tasty and healthy drink - milk. In gratitude for this, the people composed poems, songs, epics about the cow and called it affectionately - cows. To this day, dairy products - sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt are loved by children and adults, and a kind cow is a character in many stories, fairy tales, cartoons. If your child, after watching the movie, wants to draw a cow, help him using our tips.
How to draw a cartoon cow
It is not difficult to depict a cartoon cow, prepare - a pencil, an eraser, paper, felt-tip pens and start:
- in the center of the sheet, describe a horizontal oval - the future head of the animal. Step back a little and outline an ellipse - the base of the torso. Connect both figures with straight rays, inscribing a small oval in the upper one;
- unite the transition of the two circles with smooth lines. Erase the unnecessary basting and get a sketch resembling a porcini mushroom;
- attach two legs to the bottom of the body, similar to the neck of a plastic bottle with a twisted cork. From the left side of the body, draw up two curved lines, connecting them at the ends with a bracket, from the right - lower them down and also combine - the upper limbs are obtained. In the center of the abdomen, mark a circle - there will be an udder;
- on the head draw protrusions-horns and ears, poured birch leaves. Make eyes out of three circles that fit into each other. Extend horizontally an oval - the place of the nose, point the nostrils on it in the form of two vertical ellipses. Next - outline four hooks on the tummy and get an udder;
This is interesting (tell the child): it has been proven that the lines on the nose of a cow are as individual as human fingerprints.
- draw a smile line with a bracket, darken the pupils, bend the cilia, write a bang on the head between the horns. Mark the hooves with segments, and make the cow spotted, scattering the marks throughout the animal;
- on the neck, draw a smooth line parallel to the oval of the head, in the middle of which draw a bell, similar to an overturned tulip bud. Color the figure with felt-tip pens, picking up the colors of your choice.
We will draw this cow using ovals and circles. Take paper, pencils - simple, brown, pink, gel pen, eraser.
- Sketch an oval-torso on the landscape sheet, extend a small vertical ellipse with a transverse line from it to the left. Lower down from the oval two pairs of hare legs - the legs of a cow.
- On the head of the animal, extend the ears with two semi-ovals, put triangular figures - horns between them. Mark the eyes and nostrils with circles, scatter oval spots over the body of the cow and place a semicircle near the right ear.
- Draw an udder from the bottom of the body - a figure similar to an inverted sail, lower the back of the cow down two parallel lines ending in a flower - the tail. Outline the drawing with black ink and paint the udder and middle of the ears pink, make the horns and the tip of the tail brown, and the spots black.
How to draw a funny cow
Take a pencil, paper, paints and follow our instructions.
- In the middle of the sheet, draw a small protrusion-mound, move a figure similar to a bean to it from below. Pull out a ray-smile, put two commas - nostrils, above - black circles-eyes.
- Draw with a carved leaf bangs, protruding sausage ears, crescent horns, outline a body that looks like a circle with a cut off top.
- Write four inverted letters P - legs, lift up a thin tail with a chamomile brush at the tip.
- Point the spot and paint your work with paints.
Did you enjoy drawing? Then fantasize a little - make a cow chewing grass, hang a bell around her neck, draw a funny udder, midges curling behind her tail and - a funny picture is ready.
Today we will draw the head of a cow. We have already drawn and sculpted the cow itself. In former times, the nurse-drinker was the hope and support of the family among the peasants. Today, we drink milk from packages, and how far, far away in the meadow these “ko” look in the face, it doesn’t hurt, and we know.
As the New Year of the Ox approached, of course, it was necessary to make a cow mask. Preferably like in cartoons. Okay, let's see how cartoonists and manufacturers of soft toys draw a cow for us. A huge pink oval - a nose with holes in the nostrils, eyes and horns with a grip are visible above it. The main emphasis is on the incredibly swollen nose - so to speak, a hippopotamus with horns. As an image from the dimension of cartoon reality, of course, a legitimate interpretation. But, comrades, if you look the truth in the face, and a real cow in the face, then, honestly, in life the noses of cows and bulls are narrower than their shoulders, and even narrower than their foreheads.
Somehow I happened to visit the street, where many artists offered to paint portraits of passers-by or, if they wanted, caricatures. I note that many of the portraits that I saw admired the similarity and skill. Cartoons, yeah, that's another story. Some distorted the appearance only a little and, so to speak, benevolently: a little more eyes, a little rounder cheeks ... But there were such caricatures - you wouldn’t wish it on your enemy - a cruel grotesque. How the customers tolerated this is a mystery to me ... Well, you understand what I'm getting at - the nationwide model of the cow's muzzle is now just the second type - a ruthless distortion of appearance.
The first lesson is how to draw a cow's head realistically.
Draw the face of a cow step by step
So let's restore the picture of reality - draw a cow as it is. Real.
We take a square sheet of paper, without pressure, easily draw a middle line with a pencil. Draw with symmetry.
The eyes of cows are widely spaced. Not just wide, but very wide. They appear to have monocular vision, meaning each eye sees a different field of view, but there is no need to focus both eyes on the same object. What am I getting at with such a catchy wording? And to the fact that standing right in front of the face of a cow, you won’t especially look into her eyes - they are not directed forward.
Let's designate the eye sockets. The forehead is wide and generally quite spacious. The horns will be a crescent. I don’t know how effective such a weapon is, it seems to me that you need horns like daggers forward, but this is a theoretical assumption. (There, rams generally have twisted horns, but somehow help them out in battle. But what can I say - moose fight off enemies with bushy horns).
The muzzle is long and widens slightly towards the nose. Slightly! The cheeks are not retracted and not plump, but medium. Ears on the sides of the muzzle - above the eyes, but under the horns. And they are, of course, on the same line.
These ears are shaped like a wide trumpet. But, after all - if you say this to children in words, then they begin to draw ears like Shrek's. Therefore, we will manage with just a show - this is the shape of the ears.
The nostrils are large, rather wide apart, but NOT wider than the eyes. The lower lip is visible under the nose. The general idea of the muzzle of a cow is transferred, now we will toned. I use a dry brown permanent marker for this. Having somewhat fluffed up the writing end, I dip it in cologne - the color is amazing. You can do the same with a dried black marker, get different shades and tones of gray.
Second lesson - How to draw a bull's head.
Now we will fix the past: we will gradually draw the head of a bull. How much you can distinguish between a cow and a bull in the face, I can’t say for sure. I will assume that bulls are aggressive and have a stern and gloomy expression on their faces. Remember Chiago Bulls - a scowling aggressive look. But the Chicago bull is stylized. We draw realistically.
Elena Tynyanaya
At my cow
red head,
Warm, moist, soft nose
I brought her herbs.
L. Korotaeva
This week the kids and I have been learning draw a cow. On the topic of pets, of course, already draw cats and dogs, sheep, even goats. I wanted to learn something more interesting. A cow- such a wonderful animal. For the show, I used the step-by-step technique drawing according to the scheme: drew on the board, element by element, not a complex image cows(I draw two diagrams at once in different directions so that children can choose a convenient and favorite image).
Then, with oil pastels, the children painted their cows. And in conclusion, we glued our entire herd to the lawn. Having cows in the meadow they practiced mastering the laws of perspective. All children were very pleased with the result of their own and collective creativity! And in my opinion they did very well. Dear colleagues, I offer you our option scheme: such cows are not difficult to draw. Might be useful for someone at work. Thank you for your attention!
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Thanks to the cow, this useful kind animal, we have milk, sour cream, cheese, and butter. Previously, not a single village house could do without her, she was the main breadwinner, and her loss was perceived as the loss of a family member, no less. In our age of continuous chemistry, there is nothing better than a glass of the freshest fresh milk. Real, without powders and additives. It is so nutritious and useful that it is not in vain that it is given out to those who are engaged in hazardous production. If you want to be healthy, have strong bones and a balanced nervous system, drink natural tasty milk. And as a token of gratitude, you can try to draw a cow with a pencil.
- Of course, it would be nice to first study its anatomy, but this is already too difficult for beginners, so we will limit ourselves to a simpler drawing. You will need a thick white sheet of paper, slate pencils, a soft eraser. Let's start drawing a cow with very simple geometric shapes. Let's depict the body as a large rectangle, and the head as a beveled trapezoid, base up. Be sure to observe all the proportions of the animal. The most elementary and effective technique of all artists is to take a pencil, stretch your hand forward, cover one eye and measure an object (for example, a cow's head from the top of its head to its lower jaw). Then, without lowering your hand, estimate how many times this length will “fit” in the length of the body. Similarly, you can measure the length of the legs relative to the width of the torso, in general, be sure to take as many measurements as possible in the preliminary drawing. It depends on how realistic and believable the animal will turn out. That is why, in order to correctly draw a cow with a pencil, we analyze the drawing step by step and in detail already at the sketch stage. To avoid gross mistakes. On the legs, mark the junctions of the joints with dots.
- Now you can start drawing the characteristic silhouette of a cow. We draw her a high withers, a large belly, an udder and a muzzle. Since cows are ruminants, their jaws are well developed. We finish drawing small curved horns and protruding ears. Pay attention to how the neck and hooves are drawn.
- We remove everything superfluous with an eraser, we more clearly outline the contour and details.
- We designate the darkest places. These will be black areas of color, and natural shadows. In the middle of the muzzle of the cow there is a white stripe, on the body we will draw large spots of uneven shape. Deep shadows are on the udder, on the rear left leg, on the lower abdomen and on the upper part of the right leg. Let's outline the eye contour and make nostrils with small inverted "drops".
- Gently shade all the dark areas. But, most importantly, do not do it haphazardly. Try to keep the strokes even. On the body of a cow, they go at a slight angle to the left, on the muzzle, on the contrary, to the right. This makes it possible to visually separate areas of the same tone. Pencil drawing is complicated by the fact that sometimes only by the direction of shading it is possible to show that objects or parts of the image are different. Another tip - the strokes on the body of the cow should not be the same, they are darker at the top and bottom of each spot, and lighter in the middle. Due to this, it seems that the skin is a little shiny, and so it looks more natural.
- We enhance all the contrasts of the picture. We draw the eyes of a cow, almost black. It requires almost a jeweler's precision and hardness of the hand, because it is necessary to leave a tiny circle of a blank sheet on the pupil to show the moisture and brilliance of the eyes. Make a light gray area around. The deepest shadow will be on the cow's neck, behind the ears. So the head will be seen more clearly, it seems to rise above the whole picture. Draw the tip of the tail darker to get a visual line along which the eye will slide - the muzzle of the cow, the belly with black spots, the udder, the tail. Thus, we force the viewer to see the drawn animal as a whole, focusing his attention precisely on the expense of these contrasting areas. Only then will the person consider the secondary details of the drawing.
