How to draw a horse eating grass

Step 1 of 74Guide lines

Body guides

Bramble is grown now, grazing on the moor with the herd, and her own foal at her side. Start light: a big oval for her body, nearly level.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 52.

Step 2 of 74Guide lines

Head and neck guides

Her head is down: a long, tipped oval, its top level with the bottom of the body oval. Then a curve from her withers to its top: her mane's outer edge runs along it.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 52.

Step 3 of 74Guide lines

Leg guides

A line down each leg from the body oval, the back ones bent at the hock. The far back one stops at the hock: the foal's head hides the rest, all but the hoof.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 52.

Step 4 of 74Guide lines

The foal's body guides

Now the foal: a small oval for its body, touching the right end of hers, less than half as wide. A long tipped oval for its head, its bottom just above her hooves.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 52.

Step 5 of 74Guide lines

The foal's leg guides

Four long lines for the foal's thin legs, a small bend at each knee and hock.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 52.

Step 6 of 74

The near ear

Now the ink, at the top of the head oval. Her near ear, pricked up: up its back edge from her head, over the tip and down the front; a thin loop inside.

Step 7 of 74

The head

Her forehead, down the oval's left; the cheek, down from the ear. Then the jaw to the chin; from the mouth, round the muzzle and up, stopping by the eye, inside the forehead line.

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The far ear

The far ear sticks out to the left: from the forehead along its top to the tip. Then a thin loop from its base to the tip and back, its lower edge and inner line.

Step 9 of 74

Her back and neck

Now her back and neck: one line from the top of the body oval, over the withers, a third of the way down the curve, then straight down to level with the head oval's top.

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Her rump

Her rump: from the bump on her back, just left of where that line began, round over her hindquarters and down the back of her tail.

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The near front leg

Bramble's near front leg, on the left: down its front edge, round the hoof and up the heel; the hoof's top. Then from the hoof, up beside the heel and on up the back edge.

Step 12 of 74

Her chest

Her chest: from the bottom of the neck line, up to the right. Then from that line down to the front leg's edge.

Step 13 of 74

The far front leg

The other front leg, just behind it, to its right: its back edge, past the knee, round the back of the fetlock and under the hoof. A line across the hoof; a short one inside.

Step 14 of 74

The near back leg

The near back leg, along its guide: its back edge in one long line, up from the heel, past the hock and round her haunch.

Step 15 of 74

Her belly

Her belly, from that line along to the front legs. Then the front of the back leg, from the belly down, round the toe to the heel; a line across the hoof's top.

Step 16 of 74

The eye

Back to her head: the eye, a third of the way down. An almond from the corner nearest her nose; the iris, touching both lids; a glint at its top; then lid and brow lines.

Step 17 of 74

Nostril and mouth

Near her muzzle: the nostril, a loop, a curve on its right and a mark on its left. Then the mouth: a V down to its corner and back up; a line to her chin.

Step 18 of 74

The forelock

Now the hair over her head. Her forelock falls over her brow in 11 long, loose strands: each from the top down, the highest first.

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The tufts at her withers

Where the mane starts, at her withers: ten short tufts sticking up over the line, left to right, each from its root out.

Step 20 of 74

The top of the mane

The mane: its outer edge in four lines along the curve guide, withers to far ear, the last beside the third. Then 15 strands under it, from the ear's end up, each from its top.

Step 21 of 74

The mane over her neck

The long mane hanging over her neck: 12 sweeping strands, left to right, each from its top down towards her cheek.

Step 22 of 74

Lines on her face

Six soft lines on her face, top down: one beside the eye, a small curve under its far corner, then down her cheek to the jaw. Keep them light.

Step 23 of 74

Shoulder lines

Twelve short, light lines for her muscles: three on her neck and shoulder; five round the tops of her front legs; then four on her barrel.

Step 24 of 74

Body and hip lines

Then five more: three on her flank and hip, two down her near back leg.

Step 25 of 74

The foal's head

The foal's head in one line, on its oval: from the forehead down the front of its face, round the muzzle, then up under the jaw.

Step 26 of 74

The foal's ears

Two small pricked ears on top of its head: the left one a pointed loop; the right one up over its tip and down, two short lines inside. A wisp of forelock between.

Step 27 of 74

The foal's neck and back

The top of the foal's neck, from its withers down to between its ears; its throat, from under its jaw to its chest. Then its back, round its rump to the back leg.

Step 28 of 74

The foal's first front leg

The foal's front leg on the left, in one loop round the hoof; a line across it; four short fur lines at its top.

Step 29 of 74

The foal's other front leg

The foal's other front leg in one loop: from its chest down the front edge, round the hoof and up the back edge to its belly; a line across the hoof.

Step 30 of 74

The foal's first back leg

The foal's flank: one curve up from the top of that leg's back edge. Its back leg on the left: left edge down; right edge and under the hoof; a hoof line; two lines inside.

Step 31 of 74

The foal's other back leg

The back leg on the right: its front edge down from the flank, round the hoof to the heel; then its back edge, down from the rump. A short line at its top.

Step 32 of 74

The foal's tail

The foal's short, wispy tail: seven strands, each down from the root, top to bottom.

Step 33 of 74

The foal's face

Back to the foal's face: its eye, a small almond from the corner nearest its nose, filled in later. A long diamond for the blaze; a curl for the nostril; a line for the mouth.

Step 34 of 74

The foal's mane

Now the foal's fuzzy mane: three short spiky tufts along the top of its neck, from its ears up, each from its root out.

Step 35 of 74

Lines on the foal

Five light lines to shape the foal: one on its neck, one at its shoulder, one along its back, two on its rump.

Step 36 of 74

Bramble's far back leg

Back to Bramble: her far back leg, behind the foal, on its guide. Two edges down from her haunch to the foal's mane, then four hair lines down the leg, left to right.

Step 37 of 74

Bramble's far hoof

Bramble's leg hides behind the foal's neck. Its hoof shows again just right of the foal's cheek: one curve down beside it and under the foal's chin, then a short line across inside.

Step 38 of 74

Bramble's tail

Bramble's tail hangs behind the foal's back: five strands, each from the top down.

Step 39 of 74

The pony on the left

A small far pony grazes on the left. Its lowered head, muzzle about level with Bramble's far ear, well left of it; its neck rising right; one front leg; short mane and face lines.

Step 40 of 74

Its body and legs

Then that pony's back and rump in one line, level with Bramble's withers; its other legs and belly under it; last, a few short lines. No muscles, just the shape.

Step 41 of 74

The pony on the right

The far pony on the right, above the foal: its back in one line, from the tail over the rump, down the neck to its lowered head. Then tail, front legs, face, belly, back legs.

Step 42 of 74

Its mane

Then that pony's mane: 18 short strands down its neck, left to right, each from its top.

Step 43 of 74

Heather and grass on the left

Now the moor, lightly: heather on the left, its stems up from the ground. Then the grass tufts above it, left to right, and three tiny ones higher up, under the wall.

Step 44 of 74

Grass by her nose

Grass round Bramble's muzzle, left to right, and a tuft under her neck.

Step 45 of 74

Grass by her hooves

Seventeen tufts round Bramble's legs: first the higher ones, left to right, then the lower ones, down by her hooves.

Step 46 of 74

Grass in front

Tufts at the bottom of the page and by the foal's nose.

Step 47 of 74

Grass on the right

Tufts on the right, from the bottom up: a clump at the bottom, one by the foal's back hoof, then the middle clump, then the top one.

Step 48 of 74

The far hill

The far hill: one long line from just behind Bramble's withers out to the left edge.

Step 49 of 74

The wall on the left

The drystone wall, either side of the far pony on the left: small stones and its ground line, left to right.

Step 50 of 74

The wall on the right

The wall carries on behind Bramble's back and the far pony: five long, wobbly lines, top to bottom, each from the left.

Step 51 of 74

The end of the wall

Then the stones at its far end, under those long lines, getting smaller towards the right edge.

Step 52 of 74

Erase the guides

Rub out the guides. The herd and the moor stay.

Step 53 of 74

Go over her head

Press harder now, round Bramble's head: the near ear; down her cheek and jaw to the chin; up the front of her face; the forehead; the far ear. Forelock and eye stay light.

Step 54 of 74

Go over her neck and mane

Press down the mane's edge, from the withers to the far ear, in four pieces. Then Bramble's neck line, up from her chest, over the withers and along her back.

Step 55 of 74

Go over her chest

Bramble's chest: from the bottom of her neck up to the right; then, from partway along that line, down to the front leg's edge.

Step 56 of 74

Go over her near front leg

Bramble's near front leg: press down its front edge, round the hoof and up the heel; then from the hoof, up its back edge into her body.

Step 57 of 74

Go over her far front leg

Bramble's far front leg: down its back edge, past the knee, round the back of the fetlock and under the hoof in one line; across the hoof's top; the short line inside.

Step 58 of 74

Go over her belly

Bramble's belly, from her front legs along to her back leg.

Step 59 of 74

Go over her back leg and rump

Bramble's near back leg: down its front from the belly, round the toe, across the hoof, up its back edge. Then her rump, from her tail up to the bump on her back.

Step 60 of 74

Go over the foal's head

Press round the foal's head: the ear on the left, then down the front of its face, round the muzzle and up under its jaw. Then the foal's ear on the right.

Step 61 of 74

Go over the foal's neck and back

The top of the foal's neck, from its withers to its ears; its throat, up to its chest. Then its back, from the withers round its rump to the back leg; its tail stays light.

Step 62 of 74

Go over the foal's front legs

Each of the foal's front legs, the left one first: down one edge, round the hoof and up the other.

Step 63 of 74

Go over the foal's back legs

The foal's back legs: the right one's back edge, down from the rump. Then from that hoof up its front, over and down the left leg; last, up its other edge to the flank.

Step 64 of 74

Go over her far back leg

Press down Bramble's far back leg: its long edge to the foal's mane, then up the short edge beside it. The hair lines stay light.

Step 65 of 74

Go over her far hoof

Then Bramble's far hoof: the curve beside the foal's cheek and under its chin, and the line across it.

Step 66 of 74

Go over her tail

Last, Bramble's tail: its long left edge, down from the root and round the tip; then two short strands inside, each up from below.

Step 67 of 74

Shading the mane

The light comes from the top left. Shade four soft patches inside Bramble's mane, in the gaps between strands from her withers down, stroking the way the hair falls.

Step 68 of 74

Shading the face

Two soft patches on Bramble's face: one in her forelock, left of her near ear, and a small one on her cheek, below her eye.

Step 69 of 74

Shading the shoulder

Three patches: a big one low on Bramble's side, just behind her front legs, and two thin strips at the front of her chest.

Step 70 of 74

Shading the flank

Carry the tone on along Bramble's belly and up the back of her thigh nearly to her back: one long patch, a little darker at the bottom.

Step 71 of 74

Shading the legs

Ten soft patches on Bramble's legs: at the tops of her front legs, down their lower halves to the hooves, and one long strip down her near back leg.

Step 72 of 74

Shading the foal

Seven on the foal: three down its back leg from the thigh, two down its front leg, and two small dark ones low by its nose.

Step 73 of 74

Shadows on the grass

Thirteen soft shadows on the grass: nine under Bramble's and the foal's hooves, three under the left pony, by its nose and hooves, and one under the right pony's hooves.

Step 74 of 74

The darks

Last of all, fill in the eyes. Bramble's: the iris only, round the glint, leaving the almond's corners white; then the foal's: the whole almond, leaving a tiny white dot up and to the left.