How to Draw an Easy Realistic Horse

1. Begin the easy realistic horse outline by sketching the horse's head. Draw a curved line and double it back on itself at the end to form the nose. Sketch the oval-shaped nostril and the almond-shaped eye.

Draw two circles within the eye, and shade the smaller one. Then contour above and below the eye with curved lines.

2. Complete the face of your realistic cartoon horse with a curved line for the lower lip and jaw. Extend two curved lines above the face and allow them to meet at a point, forming the ear.

In front of the ear, draw the shaggy mane using curved lines that meet at jagged points. Contour the face - around the nostril and between the nose and eye - using short lines.

3. Draw the remaining ear of the realistic cartoon horse using two lines that meet at a point, and contour both ears with curved lines.

Then, continue drawing the mane. Use a scalloped line where the mane lays on the back of the neck, and curved lines that meet at sharp points for the strands hanging down and blowing in the wind.

4. Complete the outline of the mane, again using curved lines that meet at sharp points. Then extend a curved line to begin sketching the horse's body.

5. Draw the horse's leg. Extend two curved lines downward, connecting them at the bottom.

In so doing, examine and recreate the bulges of the knee or carpus, the hock or tarsus, the fetlock, and the coronet above the hoof. Note, too, the narrowness of the cannon and the pastern.

6. From the nose, extend a long curved line to form the back and the rear leg.

Again, pay attention to the little details that separate the common stick-horse from a photorealistic sketch. Band the leg at the bottom with a curved line to indicate the hoof.

7. Draw a curved line between the legs, completing the outline of the body. Then draw the remaining foreleg and hoof.

8. Draw the remaining rear leg, again extending a curved line, doubling it back upon itself, and banding the hoof.

9. Complete your easy realistic horse outline by drawing its tail. Use a long curved line. At the bottom, draw short curved lines of various lengths that meet at sharp points.

Texture both the mane and tail with curved lines, and contour the next, shoulder, and hip with curved lines.

Color your realistic cartoon horse. We’ve shaded ours in brown with a darker mane.

Do you know what other realistic colors horses come in? Or what amazing patterns? Look up appaloosa, roan, paint, and dappled grey, and see if you can reproduce them