PAINTING – ADORABLE PASTEL COW WITH BUTTERFLIES

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This pastel-painted cow is ADORABLE! Every time I glance at her, I think of a farm-themed nursery decor or a kids farm farm-themed playroom.

Painting cows is something I enjoy doing, and even though I have the same silhouette for almost each one, they all turn out so different.

Sometimes they are brightly colored with funky nose rights or glitter patches, and sometimes they’re like this one, delicate with pastel coloring.

I don’t use reference photos when creating them. I just paint what’s in my brain, so they always end up quirky and playful.

Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting Artwork by Emily Carlson

The artwork is mixed media on canvas, measuring ″16 x20 ″ with a .75″ profile.

You’ll find a small supplies used list towards the end of this post.

This is a very simple painting. It was all hand painted with acrylic paints, paint markers, and a few faux jewels centered in some of the flowers of the floral headpiece.

Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting Artwork by Emily Carlson
Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting Artwork by Emily Carlson

All four butterflies are very similar. I used pastel pink, blue, green, and yellow acrylic paint as the first layer on the wings, and once the acrylic paint was dry, I used a black paint marker to make bold lines.

I used a gold paint marker to outline the butterfly’s body and applied gold dots around the black area. Then, I went over the gold marker with a white paint marker but left some of the gold still showing through.

Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting with Butterflies Artwork by Emily Carlson
Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting with Butterflies Artwork by Emily Carlson
Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting with Butterflies Artwork by Emily Carlson
Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting with Butterflies Artwork by Emily Carlson

For the outlining, most noticeable around the nose area, I used black, white, light pink, and gold paint markers. 

I also loosely painted lines with a small, pointed round paintbrush using acrylic paints in soft pink, blue, and white. 

The dots around the nose and forehead were done with medium and fine-tipped paint markers.

Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting with Butterflies Artwork by Emily Carlson

Each cow’s ears has its pattern, one with polka dots and the other with upright rectangles.

Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting with Butterflies Artwork by Emily Carlson

Scattered around the body are loosely painted flowers, where I’ve used a combination of acrylic paints and paint markers.

Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting with Butterflies Artwork by Emily Carlson

The painting is simple, with thin layers, and appears soft and delicate on the canvas.

You will find her under the COW category of my art collections. 

Check Availability HERE.

Hand Painted Acrylic Cow painting with Butterflies Artwork by Emily Carlson

You can find these supplies at most art supply retailers. My top shops are Blick Art Materials and Amazon for the best deals.

I have a post called INSPIRATION BEHIND MY COW PAINTINGS if you’d like to read more about why I enjoy painting them.

You can view more of my artwork under the  PAINTING INSPIRATION | PAINTINGS BY EMILY category of the blog. 

If this is your first time visiting SHE PAINTS FOR PONIES, start HERE.