Jean Dubuffet painted “The Cow with a Subtile Nose” in 1954, and I’ve always wanted to see how close I could get to the look with a good old crayon and watercolor resist. I do recommend that you have your students use a light color for the cow, and a dark watercolor to get the most contrast for their wrinkles.
1. To draw the cow, first start with a large square with rounded corners. Older students may be able to follow the placement on the paper.
2. The feet and udder are added below.
3. A neck is extended from the body and a long head is added. Ears are drawn on the side.
4. Eyes and nose are added to the face.
5. The tail is drawn on the back. Lastly parts of the rectangle are erased so it looks more like a cow body.
6. The drawing is traced with a black Sharpie, and colored very heavily with crayon.
7. The paper is crumpled up, opened up and smoothed. Repeat 3 times.
8. Dark watercolor paint is generously spread over the entire painting.
9. Rub a paper towel over the entire picture to smooth. Moooove to a drying rack and enjoy!
