Goats are fun animals to draw due to their unique features like horns, floppy ears, and textured coats. While goats may seem challenging for beginners, they can be broken down into simple shapes that make them approachable for artists of all skill levels. By following some basic steps, you’ll soon be drawing cute goats of your own!

 

In this guide, we’ll cover how to draw a goat step-by-step, from sketching the basic shape to adding fine details. We’ve also included some tips and tricks to help you achieve better results. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Sketching the Basic Shape

Start by lightly sketching a circle for the goat’s head. Make sure to leave room at the bottom for the muzzle. Then draw an oval shape for the body, connecting it to the head with curved lines for the neck.

Head Shape

 

Draw a circle towards the top for the cranium

 

Add an oval below for the muzzle and jaw

 

Body Shape

 

Draw an oval shape for the body

 

Connect to the head with lines for the neck

 

Leg Placements

 

Draw pairs of parallel lines for the legs on all four sides

 

Front legs should connect at the bottom of the head/neck

 

Back legs attach at the bottom of the body

 

Use straight lines to indicate where the legs will go—one pair at the front attached to the head, another pair at the back attached to the body. Making all these connections early helps ensure proper goat proportions.

Step 2: Adding Details to the Head

Now we can begin refining the goat’s head. Draw rounded triangles on top for ears. Place oval shapes for eyes and a sideways “U” shape for the nostrils onto the muzzle.

 

Ears

 

Draw triangle shapes, curved at the bottom

 

Place them towards the top of the head

 

Eyes

 

Draw oval shapes with a circle within

 

Position on either side of the muzzle

 

Nostrils

 

Draw a "U" shape on the end of them muzzle

 

Can make nostrils round or more oblong

 

Indicate the mouth by drawing a slight curve at the end of the muzzle where it meets the chin. Finally, use curved lines to shape the bridge and tip of the muzzle itself.

Step 3: Drawing the Body and Legs

It’s time to build out the goat’s body. Draw an arched line for the back, then parallel lines descending down for the belly/chest. Add teardrop shaped hooves at the end of each leg.

 

Back

 

One smooth arched line from head to tail

 

Dips down slightly behind the shoulders

 

Belly

 

Draw a line tapering in towards the bottom

 

Comes up behind the elbows of the front legs

 

Legs

 

Use sticks for bones, add curves for joints

 

Taper legs down to small teardrop shapes for hooves

 

Note the “knees” on the front legs bending backwards. The hind legs have a longer straight section before the joint bending forward. This gives goats their distinctive stance.

Step 4: Adding Fur Texture

Goats have wonderful fluffy coats. Use quick, sketchy strokes to indicate fur. Add fluffier clumps on the chin, cheeks and hindquarters.

 

Coat Texture

 

Use fast zigzag or wavy lines

 

Apply fur texture across the entire body

 

Fluffier Areas

 

Add extra texture on the chin, cheeks & rump

 

Can clump into soft mounds or tufts

 

Don’t overdo this step—just suggest basic fluffiness here and there. We’ll refine the fur more later.

Step 5: Drawing the Horns and Ears

Goats can have straight or curved horns. Pick the style you prefer. Sketch sweeping horn shapes, then refine the inner ear details.

 

Horns

 

Draw smooth tapered curves or straighter lines

 

Curve out and up from just above the ears

 

Inner Ears

 

Add some lines inside the ears for folds

 

Can also indicate fine hair texture

 

Horns and ears can be unique to each goat. Observe photos to reproduce shapes accurately or use your imagination!

Step 6: Finishing Touches

Finalize all the facial features more clearly now. Enhance the fur texture using quick, broken strokes for a fluffy look. Erase and refine any wobbly lines before considering your goat complete!

 

Facial Details

 

Darken the eyes, nostrils & mouth

 

Refine the nose, chin & brow shape

 

Fur Coat

 

Use swift zigzags & tapering strokes

 

Visualize how the fur lays on the body

 

Don’t forget to sign your drawing! Add some fun details like grass or flowers to set your goat in a nice scene.

Conclusion

As you can see, any budding artist can learn how to draw a goat by following some simple steps. Starting with basic shapes makes even intimidating subjects approachable. Adding details incrementally allows the drawing to progress smoothly from sketch to finished piece.

 

Goats offer wonderful anatomy and expressive poses for artists to hone their skills on. Their textured fur also makes great drawing practice. Follow along with the steps in this guide and you’ll soon have a herd of hand-drawn goats to fill your sketchbook!