How to Draw a Cow in 2 Simple Styles

Drawing a realistic cow requires careful attention to shapes and proportions. The goal is to make your cow look natural, while keeping the steps simple enough for beginners. Follow the steps below, and you will soon have a cow sketch that looks lifelike and balanced.

Step 1: Draw the body outline

Start by sketching a large oval shape in the center of your paper. This oval will be the cow’s main body. Make it wide and rounded since cows have large, sturdy bodies.

Step 2: Add the head

Draw a smaller oval near one end of the large body oval. Connect it with two slightly curved lines to form the neck. The head should look smaller compared to the body.

Step 3: Sketch the legs

Draw four legs extending down from the body. Each leg can start as two straight lines close together. At the bottom of each leg, draw a short horizontal oval to form the hooves. Make the front legs straight and the back legs slightly angled for a natural look.

Step 4: Add the face features

On the cow’s head, sketch two oval eyes, a rounded nose, and a small curved line for the mouth. Place two ears on top of the head, shaped like long leaves pointing out to the sides.

Step 5: Draw the tail and udders

At the back of the body, sketch a long thin tail with a small tuft of hair at the end. Underneath the body, near the back legs, draw a small oval with a few rounded lines to represent the udders.

Step 6: Refine the outline

Go over your lines and make them smoother. Add some gentle curves to the body and legs so they don’t look too stiff. Erase any extra guidelines you don’t need.

Step 7: Add details

Draw patches on the cow’s body using rounded, uneven shapes. You can also add a few short lines for texture, especially near the face, legs, and tail.

Step 8: Final touches

Darken the important outlines, and if you like, shade some areas to give your drawing depth. You can leave it as a pencil sketch or add color to complete your realistic cow.

A cartoon cow is simpler and more playful than a realistic cow. The shapes are bigger, rounder, and cuter, which makes this style fun for both children and adults. This version focuses on exaggerating features like big eyes and a cheerful face.

Step 1: Draw the head

Start with a large circle for the head. Add a smaller oval overlapping the bottom of the circle to create the cow’s snout.

Step 2: Add the body

Draw a big oval under the head. Make it wider than the head but not too long. Connect the head and body with two short curved lines for the neck.

Step 3: Sketch the legs

Draw four short legs under the body. Each leg should be a rectangle shape with rounded corners. At the bottom of each leg, add a small rectangle to form the hooves.

Step 4: Add facial features

Draw two large round eyes inside the head circle. Add a small black circle inside each eye for the pupils. On the snout, draw two dots for the nostrils and a wide smiling mouth to make your cartoon cow look friendly.

Step 5: Draw the ears and horns

On top of the head, sketch two triangle-shaped horns. Next to the horns, add two floppy ears shaped like rounded triangles.

Step 6: Add the tail

At the back of the body, draw a thin tail with a small round tuft at the end. Keep it simple and slightly curved.

Step 7: Add spots and patterns

Draw rounded, uneven spots on the cow’s body to give it character. Place a few spots on the face, body, and legs.

Step 8: Final touches

Outline your cartoon cow with darker lines. You can keep it as a black-and-white drawing or color it with markers or crayons. Use white for the body, black for the spots, pink for the snout and udders, and yellow for the horns.