How to Draw a Wild Horse

The wild horses of the West are feral horses. They are untamed and run wild, but they have domesticated ancestors so are not truly wild. Examples of feral horses are the Australian brumby, Spanish Sorraia and the American Mustang. Follow these steps to capture the wild beauty of these horses in a drawing.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• 2B pencils
• Charcoal
• Conte crayon in black, umber, sepia, tan and ochre
• Gum or rubber eraser
• Drawing paper

1. Study the anatomy of a horse. Look at pictures in books and at museums. You want to become familiar with the overall structure of the horse, including the skeleton and musculature.
2. Practice drawing by using basic shapes to create the horse. Start with a large square for the body. Draw two ovals inside the square, one horizontal for the chest and a sloping oval for the hindquarters. Add a triangle for the neck, a circle for the face and a square for the muzzle. Draw straight lines for the legs; one line from the shoulder to the knee and a second from the knee to the hoof.
3. Connect the shapes with lines. Take your time to make sure your proportions are correct. Once you have a basic image of a horse, it's time for observation of the real thing.
4. Shade the figure of the horse to reflect muscles and add dimension. Determine where the light is coming from and add shadows and highlights. Blend to add roundness to the body and smoothness to the coat.
5. Add details. Notice the horse's eyes, nose and pattern and texture of coat. Observe horses from nature. Take several photographs to reference later while you are in your studio.
6. Observe real horses and make quick sketches. Start in the center of the figure and emphasize the areas where the weight lies. This is a fast drawing technique known as gestural drawing, capturing the pose and the moment in time. Work quickly and use expressive lines. You use this method to capture the natural movement and activity of the horse.

Tips & Warnings

• Look at horses in the pasture or at the zoo. Mustangs are federally protected herds that appear in Nevada, Montana and Oregon. If you don't live in the west, go to one of the mustang rescues.
• Use charcoal or conte crayon for the gestural drawings.