I have drawn the same cow exactly the same way since some undetermined time way back in high school. (Jill, help me out with details if you can.)
If I recall correctly, I don’t think I invented this cow. I think it was the brain child of Nanette Esplin, easily the most fun person in high school. I think the cow might have been created during driver’s ed instruction? Whenever it was, it was my ticket to consistent cartooning. Come heck or high water, I could draw that cow at the drop of a hat. I drew that cow in notebooks, yearbooks, window condensation, with my thumbnail on styrofoam cups – that cow was my friend.
And then twenty years went by and I forgot all about it. Until Jill said something. 🙂
Here’s the tutorial: Draw a peanut head.
Add eyes, nose and a freakishly large smile.
Ears and a body with an extreme swayback. This cow has some posture issues. It is also missing a back leg because I am out of cow mojo.
The stripe,the udder and the tail and we’re done!
That’s it. That’s the cow. When it came time to try painting with the watercolors, I discovered that I had no idea what color it should be. I googled ‘cows’ and figured that that this is probably a …. dang it, let me check google again – a Holstein. Hereford? I forget.
One last thing: should you decide to draw this cow, it is vitally important that it looks nothing like mine at the end. Art should be different, otherwise it’s a craft, and I am down on crafts.
Brad says
I used to draw an octopus all the time during elementary school… I’m pretty sure I still know how to do it. Maybe I’ll draw a Christmas octopus today. “Ho Ho Ho… gurgle gurgle” Wait… what sound does an octopus make?
Lauren says
Please draw it on the sketch pad. 🙂
Peggy says
And a dolphin scene….and paint it….and pack it in your suitcase to bring back. Please!
Lauren, your watercolor skills are AMAZING! Keep going! They bring us such joy!
(To Lauren: We got a new water saving toilet yesterday. First, there’s not as much water in it as I’m used to. Then there are 2 buttons on it to push when finished. One for #1 and another for #2. Hehe…)
Lauren's dad says
Your cow doesn’t look like an udder failure.
Lauren says
That’s a very mooving sentiment, Dad.
Michelle says
WAIT, you can’t be down on Crafts. WE love crafts at http://www.clubbstore.com
🙂
bekahcubed says
Nice--I especially like the one-leggedness of your Holstein.
Holsteins are the black and white ones, Herefords the really hairy brownish ones. Holsteins are milk cows, the best quantity producers but with the lowest milk-fat percentage. Herefords are beef cattle that I haven’t seen a lot of lately. I like cows, but especially Holsteins.
Kristi says
I think you should submit your picture to the people at Chick-Fil-A.
Lloyd says
When Lauren first painted the clouds, she said that they didn’t look quite right. She asked Brad and I (but mostly brad) what she should do to make them look more like clouds. We didn’t know. I said look outside and she said, in a voice that didn’t at all make me feel like an idiot, “It’s night.” I was playing Skyrim at the time, so I said, “Look at this.” and I looked up.
Gretchen says
So painting is now a two day hobby! Goodness, what will be next?!?
Jill says
YAY! A COW!! Yep that looks like the same cows. Only sometimes you would make spots and it became a spotted cow! I should draw you a bunny, my bunny’s haven’t changed since 5th grade. cereal.