#drawingdisaster

[drawingdisaster]

Drawing is hard🫠 but I have bun with these two.

[stargazingdustbunny]

My phone screen feels very judgemental tonight.

[krispy-wasteland-typhoon]

Good Drawings of Bad Horses: The Art of Failing Gracefully

Good Drawings of Bad Horses: The Art of Failing Gracefully

Horse drawings hold a special place in the history of art. Since the earliest cave paintings, humans have been obsessed with capturing the power, grace, and elegance of these majestic creatures. However, drawing horses well is notoriously difficult. Their anatomy is complex, their proportions demand precision, and even slight miscalculations can turn an otherwise beautiful sketch into an unintentional comedy masterpiece.

And yet, there is something delightfully charming about good drawings of bad horses. Whether it's an earnest attempt gone hilariously awry or a deliberate effort to bend equine anatomy into surreal absurdity, these artworks have carved out their own beloved niche in the creative world. Today, let’s explore what makes a bad horse drawing special, why people love them, and how artists can embrace the joy of drawing terrible horses on purpose.

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The Struggle Between Talent and Technique

Even the most skilled artists can find themselves at odds with the challenge of drawing a horse. There is a fine balance between capturing a horse’s grace and unintentionally creating a comical disaster. Some artists may master shading, texture, and depth, yet struggle with proportions, leading to creatures that look more like melted centaurs than majestic steeds. The struggle to combine raw artistic talent with technical accuracy makes horse drawings a test of patience, observation, and resilience.

For beginners, this struggle can be even more frustrating. A simple mistake in limb placement or muscle curvature can turn a noble stallion into a creature that looks like it belongs in a surrealist nightmare. However, these mistakes are often what make the drawing process both humorous and endearing.

The Difficulty of Drawing Horses

Horses are one of the most challenging subjects for artists because they combine complexity with familiarity. People may not notice if a fantasy creature looks slightly off, but everyone recognizes when a horse's legs don’t make sense. Their proportions are delicate and precise: long legs, arched necks, expressive eyes, and a combination of muscular structure and flowing movement that is notoriously difficult to capture.

Even experienced artists sometimes struggle with getting a horse’s anatomy right. Many beginners fall into common pitfalls, such as making the legs too short or the body too long, ending up with a creature that looks more like a sausage with stilts than a noble steed. Others struggle with the dreaded "spaghetti legs," where the limbs appear to be bending at impossible angles. There are also the dreaded “hamster horses,” where oversized heads and tiny bodies result in an adorably ridiculous abomination.

Why Do We Love Bad Horse Drawings?

So why do bad horse drawings hold such a special place in our hearts? Part of it is the sheer humor of the attempt. A badly drawn dog or cat can be funny, but there’s something particularly absurd about a misshapen horse. Perhaps it’s because we associate them so closely with beauty and strength—when those elements are distorted, the result is often uncomfortably hilarious.

There’s also an element of nostalgia to bad horse drawings. Many of us attempted to draw horses as children, and looking back at those sketches can bring a warm wave of recognition. A drawing of a horse that’s just a bit off might remind us of the time we proudly showed off our childhood masterpieces, oblivious to the anatomical chaos we had created.

In some cases, bad horse drawings become so legendary that they take on a life of their own. Internet culture has embraced the absurdity, with memes and entire communities dedicated to sharing delightfully awful equine art. From the infamous "horse with human teeth" to the dreaded "toddler nightmare horse," these drawings often transcend failure and become iconic in their own right.

The Intentional Art of Bad Horses

Not all bad horse drawings are accidents. Some artists lean into the absurdity, deliberately exaggerating certain features to create humorous or surreal results. Cartoonists, in particular, have mastered the art of drawing horses badly in just the right way to maximize comedic effect.

Take, for example, the stylized horses of old medieval manuscripts. These works, created centuries ago, often feature horses with bizarrely human expressions, impossibly straight legs, or wildly distorted proportions. These weren’t necessarily the result of poor artistic skill—rather, they reflected the artistic conventions of the time and sometimes served as satirical commentary.

Similarly, modern artists use bad horse drawings as a way to subvert expectations. In animation, exaggerated and awkward horse designs can add comedic effect, turning a simple scene of a horse galloping into a moment of pure absurdity. One need only look at pop culture phenomena like "BoJack Horseman" to see how intentionally stylized horse anatomy can be used effectively.

How to Draw a Good Bad Horse

If you want to create your own intentionally bad horse drawings, there are a few techniques that can help maximize the charm:

Emphasize the Wrong Features – Give your horse an outrageously long neck or an oversized head. Maybe its eyes are too close together, or its legs bend in ways that defy logic. Lean into the weirdness.

Forget the Anatomy (on Purpose) – Instead of carefully constructing the skeletal structure, go wild. Let those legs sprout from unexpected places. Make the body a perfect rectangle. Let chaos reign.

Give it a Weird Expression – Horses can look terrifying or hilarious with just a few tweaks to their facial features. Human-like teeth, furrowed brows, or oddly placed nostrils can take your horse drawing from "bad" to "gloriously terrible."

Use Unusual Poses – A horse mid-gallop already looks strange if you get the leg placement slightly wrong. Push it further—make it hover like a UFO, or stretch it out like a noodle.

Play with Style – Try drawing a horse as if it were designed by a child, a medieval monk, or an alien who has never actually seen a horse before. The results can be hilarious and surprisingly creative.

Celebrating the Beauty of Bad Art

The best part of bad horse drawings is that they remind us not to take art too seriously. Every artist, no matter how skilled, has drawn something terrible at some point in their life. And that’s okay! In fact, it’s often those mistakes that lead to the most fun, creativity, and personal growth.

Bad horse drawings also bring people together. There are entire communities online dedicated to sharing, appreciating, and celebrating wonderfully awful horse art. From social media hashtags to art challenges where people purposefully draw the worst horse imaginable, the love for bad horse drawings is stronger than ever.

If you’re an artist who struggles with drawing horses, don’t be discouraged. Instead, embrace the awkwardness. Laugh at the mistakes. And maybe, just maybe, aim to create a horse so delightfully terrible that it becomes a masterpiece in its own right.

After all, a truly great bad horse drawing isn’t just a failure—it’s a triumph of unintentional comedy, a tribute to the joy of art, and a reminder that sometimes, the best creations are the ones that make us laugh the hardest.

[jokususa]

Oops it wasn't watercolor paper #watercolor #watercolorillustration #drawingdisaster #sketch #instaart https://www.instagram.com/wispilee/p/Bvj4qhEgY1h/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1t609jabci1e2

[pontaseca]

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Tudo bem bonitinho. 5 x 6 cm | 26 páginas | 2018 Sequência dos sincericídios. Pelo olhar de @sclapage . . . . . . #artesvisuais #drawing #desenho #experimental #contemporaryarts #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #dibujocontemporaneo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #newcontemporary #livrodeartista #contemporaryartist #artistbook https://www.instagram.com/p/B8yZBZVH7ok/?igshid=ripw2udqpaz4

[drawingdisaster]

I'd love to know your creative process from concept to complete illustration!! 💕

Oh, I’m flattered! I use procreate so some things might be specific to that.

Concept:

Honestly this part is super hard for me and I usually have to grab inspiration from a reference or a random scene that pops into my head. I also almost always listen to music while I draw.

Sketch:

I make sure the sketch is at least semi clear to prepare it for line art. And tweak a couple of things until I’m satisfied using the liquify tool and going in with the eraser.

Line art:

Another part that sucks the life out of me but is super rewarding if it looks good to me in the end. I start by outlining once then going over certain parts adding a thicker weight to them (such as creases and where the light won’t reach)

Coloring:

I add the base colors and save them in my palette in order of hair-skin-clothes-accessories, and then add what color I use to shade over them in a multiply layer below the base colors in the pallette. Finally I shade each layer with an airbrush. I do light on a normal layer, then dark on a multiply layer. Also each airbrush color I use corresponds to the color of the base color I’m going over except for skin tone. I use the airbrush to add blush which is usually a highly saturated pink or orange, but changes depending on the skin tone of the person I’m drawing.

Eventually once that’s finished I take a sharp line art brush and make it larger, then use that to make my shadows on a multiply layer. I use the specific palette colors I saved for the multiply layers I mentioned earlier and go to town. Once finished, I blend a little of the harsher edges with the smudge tool.

Highlights:

I always add highlights on the tip of the nose, and the hair. I sometimes add highlights in the eyes depending on how it will look due to it sometimes making the character look like they barely have pupils.😬 I then add another layer and create loose strands of hair that do not conform to the already colored in line art hair. I add dark strands that are the same color as the line art, then light strands that are much lighter than the current hair color. Once done with that it’s time for lighting.

Lighting/finishing touches:

I use an add layer/and or/color dodge layer to add light if the background calls for it. If not, then I simply use a multiply layer to airbrush a little soft shadow on the characters/character depending on where the light is coming from. After that I copy my layer of the characters (after I merge them all) and then turn it into a clipping mask layer. After that I use the Gaussian blur filter and crank it up all the way, causing it to look faded and blurred. After that I click on the layer and decide what type of layer to make it. (Such as soft light, hard light, color dodge, add,) those are the effects on the layers that are possible to use but I wouldn’t suggest using add for your entire picture🫠 this comes from experience… also I forgot if color dodge is ok to use🤔

Anyway, I usually use soft light and it will amplify the colors if you feel it’s too desaturated and dull.

Last but not least, I use the sharpen filter and usually leave it at 50% , but I can go up to like 60% sometimes.

The end.

I apologize for the length of this and I hope it wasn’t too confusing, I’ve never explained the process before.😅 thank you for asking!!! I’m so glad someone was interested.❤️

[pontaseca]

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A post shared by Carlos Eduardo Pileggi (@cadjoo)

Em proces... Sequência dos sincericídios. Pelo olhar de @sclapage . . . . . . #artesvisuais #drawing #desenho #contemporaryarts #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #instaart #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #dibujocontemporaneo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #painting #newcontemporary #artlife #contemporaryartist #desenhocontemporaneo #sharingart https://www.instagram.com/p/B8WR_VnHf61/?igshid=1mdukhp39okve

[pontaseca]

Montinha rosa de satisfação. Sequência dos sincericídios 2019. Pelo olhar de @sclapage. . . . . . . #artesvisuais #drawing #desenho #contemporaryarts #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #instaart #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #painting #newcontemporary #artlife #contemporaryartist #desenhocontemporaneo #sharingart #embaixapeiro (at São Paulo, Brazil) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6QSnaMHhJK/?igshid=1look14069xmb

[pontaseca]

Sequência dos sincericídios 2019. Pelo olhar de @sclapage. . . . . . . #artesvisuais #drawing #desenho #contemporaryarts #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #instaart #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #painting #newcontemporary #artlife #contemporaryartist #desenhocontemporaneo #sharingart #embaixapeiro (at São Paulo, Brazil) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Nr_vinKHX/?igshid=10ee5op9me0oc

[pontaseca]

Sempre. Sequência dos sincericídios 2019. Pelo olhar de @sclapage. . . . . . . #drawing #desenho #contemporaryart #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #instaart #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #painting #newcontemporary #artlife #contemporaryartist #desenhocontemporaneo #sharingart #embaixapeiro Surfando dificuldades 2019. Pelo olhar de @sclapage https://www.instagram.com/p/B5KmhpynktJ/?igshid=jbop62l5ytht

[pontaseca]

Artistas importantes (3X). Sequência dos sincericídios 2019. Pelo olhar de @sclapage . . . . . . #drawing #desenho #contemporaryart #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #instaart #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #painting #newcontemporary #artlife #contemporaryartist #desenhocontemporaneo #sharingart #embaixapeiro (at Rede Globo Studios Sao Paulo) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4w57UiHsaV/?igshid=1r1zu4yaaya7o

[pontaseca]

Roda viva. Sequência dos sincericídios 2019. Pelo olhar de @sclapage 🍭 . . . . . . #drawing #desenho #contemporaryart #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #instaart #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #painting #newcontemporary #artlife #contemporaryartist #desenhocontemporaneo #sharingart (at VÃO - Espaço Independente de Arte) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2MEIx1HXWW/?igshid=4wn446rdxwcp

[pontaseca]

Persistências. Sequência dos sincericídios 2019. Pelo olhar de @sclapage 🍭 . . . . . . #drawing #desenho #contemporaryart #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #instaart #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #painting #newcontemporary #artlife #contemporaryartist #desenhocontemporaneo #sharingart (at VÃO - Espaço Independente de Arte) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ArHuNH_Y2/?igshid=zbs2bantm6iw

[pontaseca]

O que é do seu gosto é regalo da vida. Sequência dos sincericídios 2019. Pelo olhar de @sclapage 🍭 . . . . . . #drawing #desenho #contemporaryart #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #instaart #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #painting #newcontemporary #artlife #contemporaryartist #desenhocontemporaneo #sharingart #embaixapeiro (at Park Slope) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ZfcL8nFEw/?igshid=d88358qiducw

[pontaseca]

Auto-retrato com joelhada (versão sem pelos). Sequência dos sincericídios 2019. Pelo olhar de @sclapage 🍭 . . . . . . #drawing #desenho #contemporaryart #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #instaart #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #painting #newcontemporary #artlife #contemporaryartist #desenhocontemporaneo #sharingart (at Gowanus, Brooklyn) https://www.instagram.com/p/B27WqTynI3v/?igshid=im8py29hnt7r

[pontaseca]

A vocês . Sequência dos sincericídios. Pelo olhar de @sclapage . . . . . . #artesvisuais #drawing #desenho #experimental #contemporaryarts #contemporarydrawing #studiolife #artcollection #artdiscovery #artandculture #carlospileggi #cadjoo #humour #artecontemporanea #drawingnow #drawingdisasters #dessincontemporain #dibujo #dibujocontemporaneo #brazilianart #latinamericanart #inkandpaper #artonpaper #paperart #newcontemporary #contemporaryartist https://www.instagram.com/p/B88wHM8HwAI/?igshid=xqoxkt0fx7gh