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How to Draw a Cave Painting

13 steps · Medium · about 10 min

Draw a cave painting in 13 easy steps, about 10 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 rock wall.

Step 1: The rock wall
Draw a big lumpy rock shape that fills your paper, with a flat bottom. This is the cave wall.
Tip Rock is bumpy, so let the top wobble up and down.
Step 2: The bison's body
On the wall draw a big bean shape with a tall hump at its left end.
Tip Leave room on the left for the head and above for a hand.
Step 3: The head
On the front of the hump draw a blunt head hanging low, wide on top and narrower at the nose.
Tip A bison carries its big head low, below its hump.
Step 4: Horn and beard
On top of the head draw a short curved horn. Under the chin draw a round beard.
Step 5: Eye and smile
Draw a round eye with a black dot. From the nose draw a short smile, stopping under the eye.
Step 6: Two legs
From the tummy draw a front leg down to a small hoof. Draw a back leg with one bend.
Tip Each leg gets thinner on the way down and ends in a little hoof.
Step 7: The far legs
Start on the tummy behind each leg. Draw a thinner leg down to a hoof, peeking out behind.
Step 8: The tail
From the top of its bottom draw a thin tail curving out and down. End it in a leaf tuft.
Step 9: The handprint
Above the bison's back draw a small hand: 4 fingers, a thumb and a round palm.
Tip Cave painters pressed a painted hand on the rock.
Step 10: Cracks and ground
Start on the rock's edge and zigzag in for a crack. Draw 3. Add a short ground line each side.
Step 11: Sandy rock
Go over your lines. Colour the rock wall sandy yellow, around the bison and the hand.
Tip Leave the bison and the hand white for now.
Step 12: Orange bison
Colour the bison's body, head, legs and tail orange, like paint made from earth. Leave the eye white.
Step 13: Red and brown
Colour the handprint red. Colour the horn, beard, hooves and tail tuft brown.