- 1). Gather your drawing tools and reference images in a well lit room. Create enough space to display your reference images beside your drawing area. Acquire a good, detailed image of the bull standing slightly to the side but facing the camera. Use this as your main reference photo. Include other images that might provide close-up details of the head, for example.
- 2). Draw a large circle in the center of your drawing paper using a compass. Imagine this circle as the face of a clock. Draw another circle about half the size centered at the 4 o'clock position and overlapping the larger circle by just under half its diameter. Draw a third circle, slightly smaller than the second circle at the 11 o'clock position to indicate the head. Draw two parallel lines to indicate the position of the eyes just above the middle of the third circle.
- 3). Draw lines to mark the position of the legs. Begin to outline the head of the bull, including the eyes, ears, snout and horns. Taper the shape of the horns and curve them up and then inward to create large bull-like horns. Draw the outline of the legs around the lines you have drawn. Create wavy, curved lines to show the bone and muscle structure of the legs. Examine the reference image to determine the location of lines that indicate creases in the hide, musculature and body contours.
- 4). Use the circles as a guideline to complete the outline of the bull. The first circle should be as wide as the chest, the second as wide as the hindquarter and the third should be as wide as the head. Go outside these circles wherever necessary to follow the correct contour of the bull's body. Draw the tail with its tuft of hair at the end. Draw lines to indicate the powerful chest and leg muscles.
- 5). Continue detailing the eyes and the features of the bull's face. The eyes should be looking straight at the viewer to create the biggest impact. Draw in the flaring nostrils, the mouth and the detail of the ears. Make sure the horns look perfectly symmetrical and that the head in general is level with the ground. Continue detailing the legs, including the hooves.
- 6). Shade the bull by darkening all the areas you can identify on your main reference image. Look at where the light is coming from and shade the bull the way you would a tree in a landscape. The basic rules of shadow and light remain the same. Shade all the areas on the darker side of the bull to create the feeling of depth in your drawing. Use a cloth when finished to smoothly blend your shading lines, carefully creating a gradual shade from light to dark.
- 7). Clean up any smudged lines using the eraser, and restore light areas you may have darkened too much. Take a break and return to look at your work with fresh eyes. Make any necessary corrections to finish the drawing.
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