In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a baby horse also called a foal 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.

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To draw this foal 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.

Below you can watch a Narrated 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 so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 1: Start by drawing three circles as guides for the foal's head and body. The circle on the top, left side will be the head and the two circles in the middle will be the body. To draw each circle, first make four marks to determine the height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circles, just trace the outer rims of circular objects like coins or bottle caps. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle. Pay attention the sizes and spacing of the circles.

Step 2: On the bottom, left side of the head circle, draw a curved line as a guide for the baby horse's muzzle. This guide should be similar to an upside down arc. Draw a sloping line across the entire head as a guide to help you place the facial features later on. On top of the head, draw two small arcs as guides for the ears. The ear on the left should be slightly smaller than the ear on the right.

Step 3: Under each body circle, draw two long lines as guides for the foal's legs. The left-most line should bend in the middle to indicate the horse stepping forward. The line to the right should be vertical and bend slightly at the bottom to indicate the hoof. The hind legs on the right should bend more to indicate the joints at the top and the hooves at the bottom. Foals have long legs, so don't make these lines too short.

Step 4: Connect the head to the body using a couple of curved lines to create the guide for the baby horse's neck. Connect the body circles using longer, horizontal lines to finish the guide for the torso. Curve the lines so that the body is round. On the right side of the body, draw a short curved line as a guide for the tail.

That's it for the guidelines! From this point on, press down harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing of a baby horse or foal.

Step 5: Inside the head, draw a small oval for the foal's eye. Place the eye on of the guide line and close to the center of the head circle. Make the sides of the shape pointy for the corners of the eye. Inside the eye draw a tiny circle for a highlight and a small, oval for the pupil. Shade in the pupil and the eye but use a darker value when shading the pupil. Add a couple of curved lines around the eye to indicate the eyelid and wrinkles. Near the tip of the muzzle, draw a triangular a small oval-like shape for the nostril. Make the top of the nostril curved. Add a couple of lines around it for structure.

Step 6: Use the tip of the initial arc as a guide to draw the baby horse's muzzle. Follow the path of the guide but curve the shape more to give it structure. Draw a line under the nostril for the mouth. Don't make this line to long. Under the mouth, draw a couple more curved lines for the lower lip and chin. Darken the guides on top of the head but make them thinner and pointier. Add a few lines and short strokes inside the shape on the right for the ear's opening. The ear on the left is facing the other way, so don't draw anything inside of it.

Step 7: Use the other lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the foal's head. Darken the outer edges of the guides to create the shape of the head. At the top, draw a series of short strokes for the front of the mane called the forelock. Curve the bottom edge of the head up toward the ear to create the jaw. Add a few more lines within the shape of the head to give it more structure.

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Step 8: Use the second line from the left that's under the body as a guide to draw the baby horse's legs. First lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide line. Curve the shape to indicate the joints and muscle structure. Draw the edges of the leg close to the guide line so that the overall shape is thin. Bend the bottom of the shape to create a joint above the hoof. At the bottom, draw a small, square-like shape for the hoof. Draw a few lines inside to give the shape structure. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines.

Step 9: Use the line to the left as a guide to draw the foal's other front leg the same way. First, lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide line. Make the top part of the leg slightly wider than the rest of the leg. Bend the middle of the leg as the foal is stepping forward. Curve the areas where the shape bends to indicate the joints. At the bottom, draw a small square-like shape for the hoof. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines.

Step 10: Use the right-most angled line under the body as a guide to draw the baby horse's hind leg. Just like with the front legs, first lightly sketch the shape of the hind leg around the guide line. Make the top part wide and then gradually make the bottom thinner. Bend the shape near the middle to indicate the joint. Draw a small, square-like shape at the bottom to indicate the joint. Add a few lines within the shape to give it more muscle structure. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines.

Step 11: Use the line to the left as a guide to draw the foal's other hind leg the same way. Lightly sketch the shape of the leg around the guide line and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. Make the top part wide and the bottom narrow. Draw the square-like hoof at the bottom and add a few lines near the middle of the shape for structure.

Step 12: Darken the outer edges of the guides to finalize the shape of the baby horse's body. Don't overlap the legs that are on the side as you draw the underside of the body. Draw a series of short strokes along the top of the neck for the short mane. Draw the short tail around the guide line on the right. Draw the overall shape using short strokes instead of drawing every individual hair strand.

Step 13: or 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: Shade your drawing for extra detail. Horses can have a variety of coat patterns, from spots and patches to solid colors, so you can shade your drawing however you'd like. For this pattern, use a medium value to shade the entire body but leave an area on the head and legs blank for the white sections. Use a dark value for the mane and tail. Shade lightly at first and gradually build up to darker values. For light values, push down very lightly on your pencil and push down harder for darker values. Add a slightly darker value throughout the body to create shadows. Pick a light source as you shade so that the shadows are consistent across the body. Here the light source is coming from the top so most of the shadows will be on the underside of the shapes. Add a cast shadow at the bottom using a medium value. It's a good idea to use reference as you shade for a more accurate depiction of a baby horse or foal. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

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