Simple instructions, both for adults and for children, how to draw a horse in stages with a pencil.
It is difficult for a novice artist to act from memory. To successfully draw a horse in stages, as well as create any other step-by-step drawing, it is best to do work from nature or from a photograph.
First step
How to draw a horse in stages? Pretty simple. When creating any picture, it’s always worth starting with a sketch of the object you want to draw. Draw approximate outlines of the horse, the contours of the head, parts of the body, while you can use geometric shapes that look like parts of the animal’s body - ovals, triangles, etc. Do not forget that in order to perform successful work, you need to correctly select the location of the animal on paper - do not make the figure too small or large and do not press it to any edge of the sheet. Also, with the initial draft of the horse, you must immediately set the correct proportions. Proportion - the ratio of the size of the elements of the picture (in our case, parts of the horse's body) between themselves and relative to the size of the whole figure. When portraying both animals and people, it is customary to compare the sizes of the head and body (for example, 7.5-8 lengths of his head fit in average human growth). A horse’s body is about four times longer than its head. Such measurements must be carried out to correctly display the proportions. When sketching, do not click on the pencil - this way in the future it will be easier to erase unnecessary lines without leaving dirty traces. To work with a sketch, it is customary to use pencils with hardness HB or H.
Second step
Upon completion of the sketch, check again that you have correctly proportioned the proportions and whether you like your horse’s position and posture before proceeding to the second stage and removing excess lines, drawing parts of the body, giving them the desired appearance, and turning obscure figures into full horse.
Do not forget the mane and tail!
Third step
Let's move on to a more detailed drawing of the horse's head. How to draw a head in stages? The horse's skull is oblong, tapering to the nose, resembles a triangle in its shape. The eyes are located in its upper part, set shallowly and are at a great distance from each other. The nose is wide, the lower jaws are massive. The triangular ears are shaped like a leaf of a tree. If you started to draw a horse from nature, pay attention to the expression of her eyes and the position of her ears - they convey her mood and personality. Do not forget to compare the sizes of the parts you have drawn, check the distance at which they are located from each other.
Fourth step
Even for children to draw a horse in stages - it can be a difficult, but not impossible task, so let's move on to the most difficult point. It is difficult to draw a horse’s body, it is worthwhile to carefully monitor the transition of one part of the body to another, so as not to accidentally place them somewhere in the wrong place. The body shape of any animal is determined by the structure of the skeleton and its anatomical features, but in order not to have to thoroughly study the composition of the musculoskeletal system of the horse, just imagine the main shapes and sizes of the bones and skeleton: wide chest, vertebral line, location of leg joints. You can also take a closer look at how muscles and tendons are attached to each other. Knowing the anatomy and muscles will give your drawing a lot of realism.
Fifth step
And the last step in your work is a stroke. Use pencils of varying hardness to show darker or lighter elements. Soft pencils are suitable for dark hatching, hard pencils for light. Please note that areas with small and intertwined muscles, such as the shoulders and the place where the head and neck are fastened, as well as parts located directly in the shade, should be darkened. Do not forget to leave completely bright areas - sun glare and the light incident on the horse. Such places can be shown either with a very light hatching, or its absence.
I hope this article helped you understand how to draw a horse in stages, and your work has been successful.