In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Centaur step-by-step.

 

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

To draw a Centaur step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

 

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

 

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

 

 

Step 1: Draw a small circle near the top of the paper as a guide for the centaur's head. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a small lid or any other object with a circular edge. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

 

Step 2: Draw a small, U-shaped line under the circle as a guide for the lower part of the head. The farther down this curved line is, the longer the centaur's head will be.

 

 

Step 3: Draw two intersecting lines across the entire head as guide lines to help you place the centaur's facial features later. The vertical line should be near the right side, and the horizontal line should be near the middle.

 

Step 4: Under the centaur's head, draw two short lines as guides for the neck. Far down below the head, make a small mark as the first part of the top of the torso. Now connect the small mark to the neck using curved lines to create an oval-like shape. The bigger you draw this oval-like shape, the bigger the centaur's torso will be.

 

 

Step 5: Under the oval, draw a big cylindrical shape as a guide for the bottom part of the centaur's torso. This shape should be a bit wider at the top than at the bottom.

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Step 6: Below the centaur's torso, draw a big circle as a guide for the front part of the horse body. First make a few marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Pay attention to how big this circle is in relation to the human torso above.

 

Step 7: To the left, draw another circle the same way as a guide for the back portion of the horse body. This circle should be slightly smaller. Don't draw the circles too far apart or the centaur's body will be too long.

 

 

Step 8: Connect the two circles using a couple of curved lines to finish the guide for the horse's body.

 

Step 9: On the top, left side of the torso, draw a small circle as a guide for the first shoulder. On the top, right side, draw a half-circle for the visible part of the other shoulder. Below each shoulder, draw a U-shaped line as a guide for the bicep section of the arm. The bicep on the right side should be partially blocked by the centaur's torso.

 

 

Step 10: Below each of the centaur's biceps, draw a small oval as a guide of the top part of the forearms. Tilt the ovals inward a bit to indicate the elbow joint above them. Below each forearm, draw a couple of lines for the wrists and a small circle for the fists. It's okay if the arms overlap the shape of the horse body because they're going to be in front of it.

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Step 11: Below the circle on the right, draw a couple of lines as guides for the centaur's front legs. The line on the left should be long and be bent slightly at the bottom. The line on the left should bend twice to indicate the lifted leg.

 

Step 12: Draw two long, angled lines under the circle on the left as guides for the hind legs. Bend the lines to indicate where the joints will be. Make your lines longer for a taller centaur. On the left side of the body, draw a long, curved line as a guide for the tail.

 

 

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

 

Step 13: Inside the centaur's head, lightly sketch the eyebrows as two thin, long rectangles that are tilted slightly. Draw the eyebrows above the horizontal guide line. When you get the shapes right, darken the lines. The outer tips should be pointy, and the inner tips should curl a bit to emphasize the furrowed brow. Shade in the eyebrows using a dark value. Below each eyebrow, draw a thin, diamond- like shape for the centaur's eyes. Leave the insides blank for a menacing look. The eye on the right should be slightly smaller because of the tilt of the head.

 

 

Step 14: To the left of the eye on the right, draw a short, curved line for the bridge of the nose. Below that, near the bottom edge of the initial circle, draw a short, angled line for the tip of the nose. To the left, draw a couple of short, curved lines for the nostril. Pay attention to the distance between the centaur's nose and the eyes. Use the initial lines and shapes as guides.

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Step 15: Below the nose, on each side, draw a line that curves downward for the top part of the centaur's mustache. The big mustache will be covering the top lip. Add a curved line below the nose for the bottom part of the mustache. Below the thick shape of the mustache, draw a short line for the lower lip. Below the lip, draw a couple of short, U-shaped lines for the first part of the beard.

 

Step 16: To the left of the mustache, draw an angled line for the first part of the beard. Add a shorter line on the right for the other side of the beard. Follow the basic path of the initial U-shaped guide to draw the bottom part of the beard. The shape of the beard consists of a series of jagged, angled lines along the curved path of the guide. You can make the centaur's beard bigger or smaller by moving these lines higher or lower along the curved guide line.

 

 

Step 17: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the rest of the centaur's face. Make the shape of the head thinner. Draw an angled line under the eye on the left for the cheekbone. On the left side, continue drawing the line for the beard upward and curve it for the first part of the hairline.

High above the centaur's eyes, draw a series of lines that curve to the right for the top part of the hair line. The hair will be long and blowing in the wind, so make these lines long across the top of the head. On the left side, draw the ear using a series of curved lines. Centaurs are mythical creatures, so make the top part of the ear pointy. The bottom is curved, and add some lines inside the shape.

 

Step 18: Draw a series of long, curved lines around the outside edge of the initial circle for the hair. Sketch lightly as you follow the basic curvature of the initial circle. When you get the lines right, darken them. These curved lines should overlap a bit. They should be closer to the head on the left side than at the top. The hair will be blowing to the right, so draw a series of long, wavy lines on the top, right side of the centaur's head.

Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. Darken the lines only when you get them right. On the right-most side, draw a couple of wavy lines that come to a point that curves down. Draw the centaur's hair as big, wavy, chunks like this instead of individual strands. Add a few more tips on the lower, right side and finish the shape of the hair over the shoulder.

 

 

Step 19: Use the oval-like shape under the head as a guide to draw the top part of the torso. Darken the lines for the neck and the top part of the oval for the centaur's trapezius muscles. Below the neck, draw a couple of sloping lines for the collar bones. Within the initial oval-like shape, draw a couple of curved lines for the pectoral muscles. Place the pectoral muscles slightly higher than the lower edge of the initial oval-like shape.

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Step 20: Use the lines and shapes under the chest as guides to draw the rest of the human torso. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the torso. Below the chest, draw a series of curved lines for the centaur's abdominal muscles. The top-most lines should slope outwardly from the middle to create the rib cage. The actual abs are made up of short, curved lines that form small, square- like shapes.

 

Step 21: Use the shapes to the left of the torso as guides to draw the first arm. Darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the centaur's arm. Draw a couple of curved lines inside the shape to emphasize the muscle structure. Add an extra angled line at the joint, on the left side, to create the elbow. Make the bottom part of the circle wavier for the knuckles. Add a couple of curved lines on the right side for the folded fingers.

 

 

Step 22: Use the shapes on the right side as guides to draw the other arm the same way. Remember that as you darken the shape, add an extra angled line to the joint on the right side for the elbow. Make the bottom part of the circle wavier for the knuckles and add a couple of curved lines on the left for the centaur's fingers.

 

Step 23: Use the second line from the right as a guide to draw the first front leg. Follow the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the centaur's leg around it. Make the shape rounder at the top and middle for the joints and flat at the bottom for the hoof. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Add a series of short lines along the bottom for the extra-long fur called feathers. At the top, draw a few curved lines to emphasize the muscle structure. Make the bottom part flat for the hoof that's peeking from behind the feathers.

 

 

Step 24: Use the angled line on the right as a guide to draw the other front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the angled guide line. Add extra curved lines where the shape bends to emphasize the joints. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Make the bottom part wider and use short strokes to create the feathers. The top of the centaur's leg should be wide. Add a flat line below the feathers for the hoof.

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Step 25: Use the angled line on the far left side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the leg around it. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. The top of the centaur's leg should be wide. The shape should angle in the middle and at the bottom for the joints. Add the feathers at the bottom using short strokes. Use a line for the hoof at the bottom.

 

Step 26: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the centaur's other hind leg the same way. Use the other hind leg as a template to make this hind leg look similar. Add the joints as curved lines and the feathers at the bottom as short strokes.

 

 

Step 27: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the horse body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. Use the line on the left side as a guide to draw the tail. Draw a series of wavy lines around the guide to create the centaur's tail. You can make it as long or as short as you want.

 

Step 28: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

 

 

Final Step: Add some shading to your centaur drawing for extra detail. Centaurs are mythical creatures, so you can shade yours however you'd like. You can even color it! For this look, use a dark value for the hair and beard. Leave a few sections on the hair blank for shine. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Now use a light value for the human and the horse body. Use a dark value for the centaur's tail, but like with the hair, leave a few sections blank to represent shine. Leave the feathers blank and use a dark value for the hooves.

Add even more shading to give your centaur drawing more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add the value lightly at first and gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps to ground the centaur so it doesn't appear to be floating.

Continue shading until you're satisfied with the end result. Centaurs are mythical, so you can add things like stripes or spots or anything you want to the body!

Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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