How to Draw a Horse Head

The horse is a herbivorous mammal that belongs to the equid family. While their functions have evolved over the centuries, it remains an animal known for its strength and grace. Initially, horses were primarily used for agricultural work and transportation. Today, they are mostly known for their involvement in a sport: horseback riding. Many children dream of "riding a horse." They captivate both the young and the old with their imposing but elegant stature. And it is this animal that we will learn to draw in this article.

We will mostly focus on its head. Do not hesitate to consult the dedicated article if you wish to learn how to draw a horse step by step with bodily details.

Before drawing the head itself, it's important to understand the anatomy of the horse. I'm not going to make you learn every tiny bone or muscle that makes up its head, as that would be far too lengthy and complex for little gain. What interests us are the major bones and the main muscles that will allow us to understand why certain elements are placed in such a way. Because the more we understand what we are drawing, the more accurate our drawings will be.

To begin with, I made a quick sketch of a horse's head with the names of the different parts. I haven't listed all of them, as there would be too many; I have only included the main ones.

Knowing a minimum of these terms, you will better understand what I am telling you. So if at any time you do not see what corresponds to which terms, refer to this drawing :)

To start, here's what a horse skull looks like.

The parts that are directly visible are the jaw, the holes for the nostrils, and the sockets for the eyes. And it is these elements that mainly interest us. If they are placed correctly, you will not mess up your drawing.

And here are the main muscles that interest us for drawing. You don't have to draw them, of course, but knowing where they are located will make your task much easier! I won't give you the names of the muscles, since we're not here to learn anatomy, just remember where they are placed, that will suffice :)

Now that you know the "underneath" of the horse, we can begin! I advise you to sketch the skull. If your skull is well done, the rest of the drawing will be very easy! Draw it with a very fine and light pencil, without pressing too hard, as it will be erased at the end.

DRAWING THE HORSE'S HEAD STEP BY STEP

Start by drawing the overall shape of the skull with the only "details" being the nostril hole and the orbit.

Then add the various hollows and reliefs that will serve as landmarks for your shadows and highlights.

In the following image, there is an entire set of teeth, which you don't need to draw. I did it to have a complete skull drawing, but it will not be useful for your drawing, as the horse will have its mouth closed. You will therefore continue your drawing with a darker line to make your final shape. To make your horse's head, you will simply follow the skull you have previously drawn...

...and add the ears. You've done most of the work already! :)

Draw the nostril and the eye in the corresponding places relative to the skull.

Add the forelock, mane and some folds around the nostril and eye.

Make the various hollows by marking them with a curve at the level of the rock, the temple, and the salt cellar.

Style your horse's mane with hair, and your horse is complete.

COLORING THE DRAWING IN

To make it look nicer, you can add some color. For that, you have plenty of options as a horse can be different colors, and even have spots. Each coat (horse's fur) is unique, so enjoy yourself! :)

My horse will be a horse with a rather classic coat, a very dark brown and an almost black mane. I start by applying the base color, which is the classic color for a horse, neither too light nor too dark.

Then I add my shadows and highlights, going from the lightest color to the darkest, because it's easier to darken a color than to lighten it ;) Feel free to customize the drawing, even going into totally improbable colors and turn it into a magical horse! With drawing, everything is possible :)

Illustrator and editor: Coralie