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How to Draw a Cowboy on a Horse
Draw a cowboy on a horse in 21 steps, about 16 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: horse head.
Step 1: Horse head
Near the left, halfway down, draw a sideways head like a fat peanut: big round cheek, smaller nose end.
Tip The nose end leans down to the left. Leave room above and on the right for the cowboy.
Step 2: Eye and nose
Draw 1 big eye. From the nose top, curve a line down to the chin. Add a nostril and smile.
Tip Give the eye a black dot and a white shine.
Step 3: The ears
On top of the head draw a pointed leaf ear with a smaller leaf inside, and a second ear behind.
Tip Add a fat lock of hair flopping forward over the forehead.
Step 4: The neck
Behind the ear, curve the neck's back line down to the right. From under the cheek, draw the front down.
Tip The neck is thick and gets wider as it goes down.
Step 5: Long back
Carry on from the neck's back line. Draw a long back, curl round the bottom and stop.
Tip Make the back long: the cowboy sits in the middle of it.
Step 6: The mane
Start at the ears. Draw 3 fat petal locks along the neck, down to the shoulders.
Tip Each lock tucks behind the one above, like roof tiles.
Step 7: Front leg
Draw a ground line low down. From the chest, draw a leg down to a hoof, then back up.
Tip The leg gets thinner as it goes down. The hoof is a flat doorstop.
Step 8: Tummy and back leg
From the front leg draw the tummy. Then a big thigh down to a hoof and up to the bottom.
Tip The back leg is wide at the top and bends halfway down.
Step 9: Far legs
Behind each leg draw another leg peeking out, with its hoof on the ground.
Tip Only draw the part you can see.
Step 10: The tail
From the top of the bottom draw a long flowing tail down to a point. Add a hair line inside.
Tip Thick where it grows from the bottom, pointed at the tip.
Step 11: Shirt and scarf
On the middle of the back draw a triangle scarf. Round it draw a shirt with 2 long sleeves.
Tip The sleeves hang down and get a little thinner at the wrist.
Step 12: Cowboy's head
Draw 2 neck lines from the scarf up to an egg head. Add ears, eyes, a nose and a smile.
Tip The cowboy's head is much smaller than the horse's.
Step 13: Cowboy hat
Over the eyes draw a brim curling up at each end. From it draw a tall crown, back to it.
Step 14: Cuffs and hands
Draw a cuff line near the end of each sleeve. Below it draw a mitten hand with a thumb.
Tip One hand rests on the front of the horse's back, the other behind.
Step 15: Leg and boot
Start at the shirt's bottom. Draw a bent leg down the horse's side and stop at a boot, toe forward.
Tip The knee pokes forward and the boot hangs just below the tummy.
Step 16: Blanket and rein
Behind the leg draw a blanket hanging from the back. Curve a rein from the chin up to the hand.
Step 17: Cream and yellow
Go over your lines. Colour the horse's nose cream and the cowboy's shirt yellow.
Step 18: Peach skin
Colour the cowboy's face, ears, neck and hands peach, and the horse's ear inside. Leave the eyes white.
Step 19: Ginger horse
Colour the horse's head, ears, neck, body and legs ginger, around the nose, the cowboy and the blanket.
Step 20: Red and blue
Colour the scarf and the saddle blanket red. Colour the leg blue like jeans.
Step 21: Brown and dark grey
Colour the hat, the boot, the mane and the tail brown. Colour the 4 hooves dark grey.
Tip Your cowboy is ready to ride!
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a cowboy on a horse, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
