In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Horse (Gypsy Vanner / Irish Cob) 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 Gypsy Vaner / Irish Cob Horse 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 circle as a guide for the front part of the gypsy vanner horse's body. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a bottle cap 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: To the left, draw another circle of similar size as a guide for the back of the gypsy vanner horse's body. Draw this circle the same way. Use four marks for the height and width. Then connect the marks with curved lines. Don't place the circles too far away, otherwise your horse will be too long.

 

 

Step 3: Draw another circle on the top, right side as a guide for the horse's head. Pay attention to the size of this circle. It should be about one- third the size of the first circle.

 

Step 4: Draw the guide for the muzzle by first making a small mark on the lower, right side of the head. Connect the small mark to the head using curved lines to form an arc. Pay attention to the size of this arc in relation to the gypsy vanner's head.

 

 

Step 5: On top of the head, draw a couple of lines that are similar to the letter M as guides for the gypsy vanner horse's ears.

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Step 6: Under the circle on the right, draw a line that slopes to the right as a guide for the front leg. At the bottom, bend the line down and then to the left to indicate the leg stepping forward. To the left, draw vertical line that bends slightly at the bottom as a guide for the horse's other front leg.

 

Step 7: Under the circle on the left, draw a long line as a guide for the first hind leg. This line should bend slightly near the middle and at the bottom to indicate where the gypsy vanner horse's joints will be. To the right, draw a more angled line as a guide for the other hind leg stepping forward.

 

 

Step 8: Draw a series of curved lines that connect the circles together to form the rest of the body. The curved lines for the neck should be wider apart at the bottom. The lines for the back and underside should dip low in the middle. On the left side, draw a long line that curves at the bottom as a guide for the gypsy vanner horse's tail.

 

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

 

 

Step 9: Inside the head, near the middle/ right side, lightly sketch the eye as a small oval. When you get the size and position of the eye right, darken the lines. Make the sides a bit pointier. Inside the eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle to represent glare. Shade the inside of the eye except for the tiny glare circle. Make the bottom part a bit lighter to give the eyeball a rounder look. Draw a couple of lines above and below the eye for the eyelids. Add a few more lines around the eye for the detail on the gypsy vanner horse's wrinkles.

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Step 10: Inside the muzzle, near the bottom, draw a small oval for the nostril. When you get the size and position right, darken the lines and shade the inside. Make the ends pointier. Add a few curved lines around the horse's nostril to give it structure.

 

Step 11: Use the initial arc as a guide to draw the rest of the gypsy vanner's muzzle. Draw the muzzle along the path of the guide but make the line a bit wavier as you darken it. At the bottom, curve the line inward toward the top to create the shape of the horse's mouth. To the left of the mouth, draw a curved line along the path of the guide for the chin. The entire shape should fit inside the bottom of the initial arc.

 

 

Step 12: At the top of the head, draw a series of sloping lines for the front part of the mane. Use long strokes to the right of the head to create the flowing tips of the mane. The left edge of the mane should be close to the eye, and the slope of the line should be parallel to the side of the gypsy vanner horse's head.

 

Step 13: Use the M-shaped lines on the head as guides to draw the horse's ears. Darken the shape on the left but make the bottom lines longer so that they come into the head more. Inside the shape, draw a line for the ear's opening. Darken the shape on the right for the other ear. Draw a line inside that shape too.

 

 

Step 14: Use the remaining arc as a guide to draw the rest of the gypsy vanner horse's head. Follow the path of the arc but make the shape of the head slightly thinner. Add a few lines inside the head for structure and veins.

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Step 15: Use the angled line on the right side as a guide to draw the horse's first front leg. Follow the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. When you draw the bent section, make the area rounder to emphasize the joints. The leg should bend in two places, and the hoof should face backward as the leg steps forward.

Use a series of short strokes for the gypsy vanner horse's longer hair at the bottom called feathers. The section at the bottom should be wide, and only a little bit of the hoof should be visible. The section at the top should be wide. Add a couple of curved lines for muscle structure.

 

Step 16: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the other front leg the same way. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide line. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Use curved lines near the middle of the horse's leg to indicate the joint. Make the bottom part wider and use short strokes for the feathers.

 

 

Step 17: Use the line on the far left side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Draw this leg the same way. 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 leg should be wide. The middle section of the leg should slope to the left slightly before curving back down. The bottom section should be wide. Use short strokes for the feathers. The gypsy vanner's hoof shouldn't be visible because of the feathers falling over it.

 

Step 18: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the other hind leg the same way. Lightly sketch the leg around the guide and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. The joint in the middle should curve and the bottom part should slope to the right as the foot steps forward. Use longer strokes for the feathers at the bottom to indicate the motion of the leg stepping forward. Only a tiny section of the gypsy vanner horse's hoof should be visible at the tip, behind the feathers.

 

 

Step 19: Darken the guides below the head to create the horse's mane/neck. Use a few short strokes along the way to emphasize the mane's texture. Draw a wavy line that starts at the ear for the right edge of the mane. Draw a series of long strokes along the bottom for the ends of the mane drooping down. On the left side, draw a series of strokes that slope downward to finish the shape of the gypsy vanner's mane.

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Step 20: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the gypsy vanner horse's body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. As you darken the lines, don't overlap the legs that are on this side or the mane.

 

 

Step 21: Use the curved line on the left side as a guide to draw the gypsy vanner's tail. Just like with the horse's legs, draw the shape of the tail around the guide line. Use long, sloping strokes to indicate the tail flowing in the wind as the horse moves forward.

 

Step 22: 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 drawing for extra detail. Gypsy vanner or Irish Cob horses usually have markings on their coats, so add dark patches all over the body. First draw the shapes of the patches, like around the eye and muzzle, and then shade the inside. Use a dark value to shade the horse's markings so that they really stand out. The markings in your drawing don't have to look exactly like mine. Just add them randomly on the body. Make the markings any shape that you want and make them as big or as small as you want. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Use two values when you shade the gypsy vanner's mane and tail as well. As you shade the mane and tail, use long strokes to emphasize the texture. For a simpler drawing, you can shade the mane and tail a single, solid color or leave them white.

Add some shading to your gypsy vanner horse drawing to give it 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. Shading can be time- consuming, so be patient and take breaks.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps to ground the horse so it doesn't appear to be floating. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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