Whether you are a fan of Westerns, interested in the history of the Wild West, or simply looking to celebrate this fascinating past, a cowboy on a horse is an intriguing scene – and we will learn how to draw our very own in just a few short, simple steps; let’s get started!
Tutorial Video
Step-By-Step Images and Instructions
1.

Start with a black fineliner pen, and draw a small crescent moon shape to the right of the center, and add two small circles above this.
2.

Add a curved line to the top of this, with the ends heading up to the top of the page.
3.

Add a short curved line above this, and add two lines leaning inwards to either end. Connect these with a wavy line at the top to form the top of the hat.
4.

Bring the rim of the hat around the bottom of this.
5.

Now, add a long semicircle shape to the bottom of the hat to create the face.
6.

Cut off the top “corners” of this with curved lines, and add two semicircle shapes, one on either side, for ears. Then, add a square to the bottom of the face for the neck.
7.

Bring a curved line across on either side of the neck, and then add a “wedge” to the bottom.
8.

Bring two curved lines down from the edge, and then bring down two long, parallel lines.
9.

Bring a curved line across to the left, and angle this towards the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Add a square to the bottom, and then connect this to another line to the right – this will be one arm.
10.

Add another arm to the right…
11.

Now, bring two curved, parallel lines down from the bottom of the right sleeve for an arm, and add a hand to the end of this.
12.

Add a “backward L” shape to the right of this arm for the bottom of the shirt.
13.

Next, bring down a curved line from the bottom of this, take it across to the left, and then bring a curved line up to the bottom of the hand.
14.

Bring down two parallel lines from the bottom. On the left line, curve this across to the right for the bottom of the foot, and then hook it across to the left, leaving a slight gap.
15.

Add two curved lines in the gap to create the top of the stirrup.
16.

Add a strap just behind this, and then another gap to the bottom of the foot.
17.

Now, add a curved point to the left of the leg for the saddle, and a curved line heading off to the left on the inside of the leg.
18.

Add a curved line to the right of the saddle, and bring this down towards the bottom of the page, curving it as you go, and adding a slight “point”.
19.

Bring another line up to the left of this, adding the same “point” to form the back leg of your horse.
20.

Add a hoof to the bottom of this…
21.

Bring a horizontal line across to the left.
22.

Now, add another leg in front of the back one, and add another hoof to the bottom of this.
23.

Connect the horizontal lines in the center with a vertical line, and then add another line to the left of that.
24.

Bring a line down to create another leg…
25.

And a second just in front of this one.
26.

Add hooves to the bottom of these legs.
27.

Now, bring a curved line across to the right, and then up towards the top left-hand corner of the page. At the top of this line, bring a wavy line across to the left.
28.

Add a “backward D” shape to the end of this, with a slight bump in the bottom. This is the nose of your horse. Add a small teardrop shape for the nostril, and a mark for the mouth.
29.

Add a strip behind the nose, and then bring across a long, thin horizontal strip for the cheekpiece.
30.

Add a circle above this for the eye, and two smaller circles inside this.
31.

Add a tuft to the top of this for a forelock…
32.

And then two triangles above this for the ears of your horse.
33.

Bring a line down from the right ear, and then take this to a curved line at the bottom, adding another, parallel line to the bottom of this for the reins. Add the end of the reins emerging from the hand.
34.

Add a jagged line above this for the mane, and then take this to a point beneath the reins, and back up to the bottom of the cheekpiece.
35.

Connect the cowboy’s left sleeve to the top of the horse’s mane.
36.

Connect the body of the cowboy to the top of the horse.
37.

Grab an orange pen, and use this to shade the face and arms of the cowboy.
38.

Fill in the hair with a yellow pen…
39.

And then use the orange pen for the body of the horse.
40.

Now, use a brown pen for the hooves, mane, and tail of the horse.
41.

With a red pen, add color to the shirt of the cowboy.
42.

Use a blue pen for his trousers.
43.

Shade the eyes with a black pen, and use the same shade for the tack, the boots, and the saddle.
44.

Finally, use a gray pen for the stirrups on the boots.
And there we have it – your very own cowboy and horse, ready to head out to the horizon, and enjoy the thrill of adventure!