We’re coming up on the Year of the Ox, according to the Chinese zodiac calendar. Did you know the ox represents diligence and reliability?

To get ready for the Chinese New Year – also known as Lunar New Year – on Feb. 12, try drawing an ox. It can be a cartoonish one or realistic – whatever your choose!

Getting started

You’ll need:

  • Sketchbook or some paper
  • Colorful drawing instruments, such as markers or colored pencils
  • Imagination

Watch video for inspiration from our volunteer:

Need help getting started? Search for Year of the Ox illustrations online. Some more prompts:

  • What kinds of ox will you draw? Animated or realistic?
  • What kind of personality will your ox have?
  • What colors will you use? Our volunteer used red, since red is considered a lucky color in Asian cultures.
  • Will you include a background? Maybe you want to include some hopes and dreams you have for the new year.

Remember, your ox is perfect the way you draw it. Finally, just focus on having fun.

Beyond drawing…

Try these activities along with drawing:

About our volunteer

Julia is a student at Arizona State University studying biology. She draws to relax and think. You might find her at the museum helping at an event, but she’s often behind the scenes helping input data and prepping sample artworks for marketing events.