Below you’ll find an easy step-by-step tutorial for how to draw a Cow Face. The shapes add up to a pretty cute, yet realistic looking cow face!

Drawing of a Cow Face

How to Draw a Cow Face

If your students are ready to move beyond an oversimplified cow drawing—but are not quite ready for a fully shaded, realistic version—this How to Draw a Cow Face tutorial may be just right.

The lesson begins with simple, symmetrical shapes that help students draw a large cow face in the center of the paper. Because the face fills most of the page, there is plenty of room to include details such as curved brow lines, wide nostrils, shiny eyes and the cow’s distinctive patches.

Drawing the cow close up also makes the project feel a little more like an animal portrait. Students can concentrate on the shapes and features that make a cow recognizable without having to worry about drawing four legs, hooves and an entire farm scene.

To finish the drawing, students can add part of the cow’s body along one side of the paper. This small addition helps the head feel connected and turns the drawing into a charming cow portrait. A simple barn, fence, field or sky may also be added to the background.

This tutorial offers a nice balance of structure and creativity. The symmetrical starting shapes give students a clear path to follow, while the spots, facial expression, colors and background leave plenty of room for personal choices.

Markers or crayons will both work well for this project. Traditional black-and-white markings are always fun, but students may also enjoy creating brown, tan or even completely imaginative cows. No two cow portraits need to look exactly alike!

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Materials

Colored Pencils or Crayons

A larger pack will offer more color choices.

Sharpie Markers Black

A permanent marker will give you a dark black color.

Pencils

I like how this brand always makes nice dark lines.

Drawing Paper

This is the good stuff you can buy in bulk for a good price. Note: All of the links shared here are affiliate links.

Step by Step Directions

Time needed: 45 minutes

Step by Step Cow Face Drawing

Start at the bottom with the cow nose.
Draw the head above the nose.
Draw two slightly angled eyes.
Add the symmetrical curve lines inside the face.
Draw the nose shape and nostrils.
Add two symmetrical ears.
Draw the side of the cow body.
Add the landscaping in the background.
Trace with a marker and color.

Another Cow Face Drawing Project

Open Another Cow Face PDF Tutorial

Here’s a fun Cow Face drawing option that teaches a lesson in Proportion. The nose is intentionally large to make it look like it’s reaching out to sniff you. The proportion of this project works well on a 6″ x 9″ sheet of paper, which fits in my Recycled Art Journal system.