It is easier for children to learn to draw, if they have the original image in front of them, a copy of which they should get as a result of the work. The most exciting process for beginning artists is definitely creating a drawing of a cartoon character or animal.
The simplest option in the second case is a cow. This image, regardless of the chosen style, mostly consists of geometric shapes, elementary for children of any age to copy.
What do you need to draw a cow?
A drawing of a cow (for children it will be more interesting to draw with paints, but if the fine art classes are educational and not entertaining, simple pencils should be used in the work) requires for its creation.
Scroll:
- a set of simple pencils, differing from each other in the hardness of the lead (different types of stationery are needed for high-quality drawing of the outline (hard pencil), filling the space inside it (soft pencil, easy to shade), as well as finishing drawing secondary objects that are not of great importance for the overall composition (pencils of medium hardness);
- colored pencils, felt-tip pens or markers (if the young artist prefers to create colored pictures);
- thick paper or white cardboard (it is necessary to use a thick base, since, being thin, it can tear the first time you use the eraser to remove erroneously drawn lines);
- stencils (needed for children aged 4-6 years who have no previous experience in creating images. As stencils, you can use a figure that helps draw the basic outline of the animal or cut out squares, circles or triangles, with the help of which the drawing can be detailed);
- eraser (it is important that the eraser fits comfortably in the child's hand. Otherwise, if used incorrectly, the artist may not only ruin his work, but also tear the sheet of paper used);
- ruler, sharpener, compass and other stationery (the list of necessary tools should be varied depending on the child’s age, as well as his existing fine art skills).
Easy Cow Pencil Drawing. Detailed Instructions for Kids and Beginners
Proper organization of the work process involves the step-by-step creation of an image of a cow.
General outlines
To depict the general outlines of the animal's body, it is necessary:
- Determine the center point of the sheet of paper you are using.
- Taking it by the middle, you should draw 2 diagonal lines intersecting in the indicated area.
- Next, you need to connect the extreme points of the schematically depicted lines, leaving only the side edges open.
- Draw circles on the sides so that the extreme points of the original lines lie on their edges.
Ready.
The first outlines of the head, body, legs
To create the outlines of the head, body and legs you should:
- Step back from the circle located on the left by 1-2 cm, then draw a small circle, approximately 3 times smaller than the main figure.
- From the lower border of this circle, draw 2 short straight lines downwards, then draw another circle, the radius of which will be half as small (the head and muzzle of the animal).
- At a distance of 3-5 cm from the lower border of the drawn outline, draw small circles located vertically, connecting them with straight lines (legs).
Drawing details
To detail the resulting image, you need to:
- Erase the intersecting diagonals, as well as the right edge of the left oval and the left edge of the right one. Re-outline the outline of the animal's body.
- Using smoothly curved lines, depict the cow's legs, as well as the neck connecting the body to the head.
- Next, you need to draw the cow’s tail, horns, nose, hooves, udder and eyes.
- Re-draw the outline of the main parts of the drawing.
Coloring
To color a cow, it is recommended to first draw a picture on its body (most often these are spots of random size, located at an arbitrary distance from each other), and also to mark the relief of its skin.
The resulting image should be colored with a brown pencil or a marker of light and dark shades. If the child has only one brown pencil at hand, you can suggest that he or she use different pressure on the working tool when drawing individual parts of the image.
Step-by-step drawing of a cow with paints. Master class for beginner artists
Drawing of a cow (for children the style of work is of little importance), it is not recommended to paint immediately. The child, due to the age-related peculiarities of his psyche, will not want to wait until the outline of the image dries, which can spoil the final result of the work.
It is recommended to first draw the animal with a pencil, and then, using paints of the desired color, color the space inside the outline.
The basic outlines should be created as follows:
- Draw a semicircle, strongly curved to the right, in the center of the sheet of paper so that the curve takes up most of the right side of the working plane.
- Connect the extreme points of the semicircle, drawing an oval. Adjust the borders of the oval to curved lines, making the figure similar to the outline of a cow's head (the upper part should be narrower than the lower one).
- Divide the inner part of the oval into 2 parts using a horizontal curve.
- In the upper half, inside the oval, draw 2 identical small circles (eyes).
- Draw 2 rounded figures of any shape (nostrils) under the dividing curve.
- Draw the lower border of the cow's muzzle (a slightly downward curved semicircle) under the nostrils.
- From the upper border of the main oval (head), draw 2 small triangles of the same size (horns).
- From the lower points of the horns, draw ovals with a slightly pointed side edge, directed towards the opposite boundaries of the working plane (ears).
- Divide the inner surface of the ears in half with a slightly curved line.
- Draw pupils and eyelids inside the eye contour. Draw smoothly curved lines (eyelashes) from the side edges.
- Draw the animal's legs at the bottom of the body using 8 vertical lines grouped into 2.
- Draw an udder on the hind legs (a downward-extended semicircle with a zigzag outline).
- Draw the cow's tail with a tassel at the end on the side of the body (on the right).
- If desired, add more detail to the image.
- Color the resulting picture.
Black and white and color cow drawing ideas for copying with pencils and paints
A cow drawing for children can be realistic or look like an image in the style of a famous computer game. It is recommended to select a specific version of the source based on the age and interests of the young artist.
Funny cartoon character
For the little ones, it will be interesting to draw a cartoon cow performing a cheerful dance on two legs:
| Original image of a cow | Algorithm of tracing |
 | 1. Find the center of the surface of the sheet of paper used. 2. Measure an equal distance up and down from the center to draw 2 equal circles. 3. Draw 2 straight lines from the lower edge of the upper circle and extend them to the lateral protruding points of the lower circle. 4. Use an eraser to remove the upper border of the lower circle (torso). 5. Draw 2 small elongated triangles at the bottom of the body, placing them slightly diagonally in relation to each other. The figures should be identical. 6. At the bottom of the triangles, draw one semicircle (the outline of the animal’s hooves). 7. Inside the body contour, stepping back 1-2 cm up from the bottom edge, draw an oval (udder). 8. From the side borders of the body, draw 2 curved lines up and down, exactly repeating the curves of each other (front legs). 9. At the extreme points of the front legs, inside, draw slightly curved semicircles (the outline of the hooves). 10. To the upper edge of the upper circle (head), draw 2 small triangles (horns) and small identical pointed ovals, the edges of which are directed towards the right and left borders of the working plane (ears). 11. Re-draw the outline of the ears inside the main lines of the figure. 12. Inside the head, from the lower border, draw a semicircle curved upwards, in the upper part of which draw 2 small circles (nostrils) and a semicircle with a downward curve under them (mouth). 13. Add detail to the image by drawing the nipples, bell, pupils, eyelashes and the relief of the cow's skin. |
Cow from Minecraft
The cow is one of the main characters in the popular game "Minecraft", which explains the popularity of drawings with it in the style of computer graphics among teenagers aged 10-13.
| Original image of a cow | Algorithm of tracing |
 | 1. On the working plane, draw a large hexagon so that it takes up almost all the space to the left of the central part of the sheet of paper used (the cow's head). 2. From the side and bottom edges, draw several straight lines (some of them should be perpendicular) so that the result is a rectangle located horizontally behind the cow’s head (the body of the animal). 3. Divide the inside of the cow's body into 2 parts using a straight line. 4. From the bottom corner of the hexagon, you need to draw a straight vertical line upward, placing its extreme point approximately in the middle of the inner part of the figure. 5. From the side angles of the hexagon, draw straight lines to the edge of the vertical. 6. To the right of the intersection point of the lines on the inner line, draw a rectangle, placing it vertically (horn). 7. Mark the edges of a three-dimensional figure (rectangle) by drawing lines inside it. 8. In the area of the left side corner of the hexagon, draw another vertical rectangle on the upper edge. Give the figure volume by drawing its inner edges (horn). 9. Draw elongated rectangles (the cow’s legs) below the outline of the body and head. 10. Add volume to the legs by drawing the inner edges of geometric shapes. 11. Inside the hexagon, on the left side, draw a square from the base (the cow’s mouth), and on top of it draw 2 small identical rectangles, located horizontally. 12. Add detail to the image by drawing spots on the animal’s body, pupils and teeth. |
Cow's head
For children, the most difficult part of drawing a cow is usually drawing the animal's head. To prevent this difficulty from putting off the young artist from fine art, it is recommended to give him the opportunity to practice drawing this part of the animal's body separately before starting work on a complex image.
| Original image of a cow | Algorithm of tracing |
 | 1. In the center of the working plane, draw 2 perpendicular lines, which will later help the child to navigate the working plane. 2. Taking the vertical as the central axis, draw a semicircle with maximally smooth curves in the lower part of the plane. The extreme points of the semicircle should be located at the same level (the outline of the animal's muzzle). 3. From the extreme points of the semicircle, draw 2 ovals, slightly pointed at the edges. The ovals must be placed horizontally, with the pointed parts of the figures pointing in opposite directions (the ears of a cow). 4. Connect the extreme points of the ears with a semicircle curved upwards (the upper border of the cow's head). 5. From the upper semicircle, draw up 2 rounded triangles of the same size (cow horns). 6. Inside the main outline, stepping back 3-5 cm from the lower border of the cow’s head, draw a smoothly curved semicircle in the center (the animal’s muzzle). 7. Inside the muzzle, draw 2 small ovals that need to be painted black inside (the cow’s nostrils). 8. Draw a semicircle with a downward bend under the nostrils. Adjust the contour of the semicircle so that it consists of 2 small semicircles (cow's mouth). 9. Step back 1-2 cm from the cow's muzzle, then draw 2 small black circles (eyes) at the same level. Draw highlights inside the circles. 10. From the borders of the drawn eyes, draw several short straight lines (eyelashes). 11. Draw a horizontal line between the eyes. 12. Draw short diagonal lines (eyebrows) above the eyes. 13. Draw a zigzag line (cow's forelock) at the top of the animal's muzzle. |
Cow in motion
A cow in motion is usually offered to be drawn by children aged 8-12. At this age, young artists are already able to mentally think through how the position of the animal's body parts should change when the cow moves from place to place.
| Original image of a cow | Algorithm of tracing |
 | 1. Visually divide the working plane into 2 halves using a vertical line. 2. On the left side of the sheet of paper, draw an oval so that it takes up most of the free space. 3. Adjust the outline of the figure so that its upper borders are slightly curved downwards in the middle. The left part of the oval should be approximately 1.5 times narrower than the right. 4. From the lowest and highest points of the right side edge of the animal’s body, draw 2 diagonal lines, drawing them “tapering downwards”. 5. At the extreme points of the lines, draw a small oval, slightly pointed towards the bottom (the cow’s head). 6. Draw elongated ovals inside the animal's body, placing them vertically. One oval should be placed at the left border of the figure, the second at the right. The extreme lower points of the straight lines should extend beyond the oval, maximum by 1-2 cm (the upper part of the cow's legs). 7. Inside the head drawn earlier, in its upper part, draw a semicircle curved downwards. 8. From the side points of the semicircle, draw 2 small identical triangles upwards (horns). 9. To the right of the right horn, and also to the left of the left horn, draw a vertically positioned, slightly pointed oval (ears). 10. At the bottom of the head, also draw a semicircle (cow's muzzle). 11. Draw the tail on the left side of the main semicircle (body). 12. Extend the ovals that serve as the outline of the cow's upper legs with straight lines. 13. Add detail to the image by adding eyes, a mouth, spots on the skin, and surrounding secondary objects to the cow about to eat hay. |
Animal in the meadow
A cow grazing in a meadow can be drawn like this:
| Original image of a cow | Algorithm of tracing |
 | 1. In the center of the working plane, draw a rounded oval (the cow’s body). 2. To the left of the oval, draw another one, 3 times smaller than the first one (the cow’s head). 3. At the bottom of the head, draw a semicircle using a line curved downwards in the center (the animal’s muzzle). 4. Inside the semicircle, draw 2 black dots (nostrils) near its outline. 5. Above the semicircle, at the same level, draw 2 small ovals (eyes). Color the eyes. 6. Draw a circle around one of the eyes, the outline of which should be slightly curved. 7. At the top of the head, draw a small cloud using a wavy line, along the edges of which draw small triangles of the same size (horns). 8. Draw pointed ovals under the horns, directing their sharp edges in opposite directions from each other (the animal’s ears). 9. From the lower border of the main oval, draw 8 straight lines, grouping them into 2, located at a distance of 2-4 cm from each other (the cow’s legs). 10. Add detail to the image by drawing the cow’s tail, hooves and udder. 11. In front of the animal’s muzzle and at its feet, depict grass using zigzag and rounded lines. 12. Draw a cloud and a sun above the resulting drawing of a cow, using simple geometric shapes. |
Picture on the farm
A cow on a farm can be depicted like this:
| Original image of a cow | Algorithm of tracing |
 | 1. Mark the horizon line by dividing the working plane into 2 parts with a slightly upward curved line, where the upper area should be half the size of the lower one. 2. In the lower part, draw a cow, depicting its body parts using simple geometric figures (the body is a horizontally located oval, the head is a vertically located oval, the legs are elongated rectangles, and so on). 3. Draw a small semicircle at the bottom inside the cow’s head (the animal’s muzzle). 4. Inside this semicircle, draw 2 short lines (the cow’s nostrils). 5. Draw the cow's eyes above the semicircle (2 identical small circles). 6. Draw the horns and ears of the animal on top of the head, and depict the tail at the back. 7. Fill the inner surface of the animal’s body with circles with fuzzy outlines, placing them randomly. 8. Add detail to the image by drawing the objects surrounding the animal – a house (rectangles, squares, triangles), grass (short straight lines), a lake (a slightly curved line that closes into a circle). |
Realistic image
In the vast majority of cases, children will be able to draw a cow in a realistic style only at the age of 8-10 years, provided they have basic fine art skills.
To create such an image, follow these steps:
| Original image of a cow | Algorithm of tracing |
 | 1. In the central part of the working plane, draw an oval (the body of the animal). 2. Adjust the outline of the figure so that its right side is approximately twice as narrow as the left. |
| 3. Step back 1 cm to the left from the left border of the oval and draw another oval, 3-4 times smaller than the main one (the cow’s head).
4. Connect the 2 figures using smooth lines (neck). 5. Draw horns on top of the head using short curved lines connected to each other at one point. 6. Next to the horns, draw the cow’s ears using slightly pointed ovals. 7. At the bottom, inside the oval (head), draw a small semicircle (the animal’s muzzle). 8. Draw nostrils inside the semicircle (2 black dots). 9. Inside the main oval, depict the front and back legs of the animal as if the cow was facing the viewer with its left side. 10. Add detail to the image by drawing the tail, hooves and spots on the cow's skin. |
For children, working on creating a cow drawing can be not only useful in terms of revealing creative potential and developing artistic abilities. Such activities help the child to study the world around him, learn the names of animal body parts, as well as their purpose in real life.
Video on how to draw a cow
Easy way to draw a cow: