How to draw a reindeer — easy step by step drawing ideas

Reindeer drawing ideas are the first thing my students ask for once the holiday lights go up. A cute little reindeer with a shiny red nose and a cozy scarf is just made for Christmas cards, gift tags and letters to Santa, and it never fails to put a big smile on every face around the table.

Here's what makes it so beginner-friendly: a cartoon reindeer is really just an oval head and a bean-shaped body, with two leaf-shaped ears, two branching antlers and four straight legs. The antlers look tricky, but they're simply a line with a few little branches, like a tiny bare tree. Once you see it that way, they're easy.

In this tutorial we'll draw a sweet reindeer standing and facing us, with a big red nose and a green scarf, using the six-step practice sheet below. I'll share my favorite pro tips, three mistakes that make reindeer look like dogs or horses, and a few fixes for wobbly antlers. Grab your brown, red and green crayons, and let's get drawing.

The 6 steps to easy reindeer drawing ideas

Step 1 — Draw the head

Start with an oval for the head, a little taller than it is wide, placed in the upper middle of your page. Draw it lightly, since it's a guide. Leave some room above it for the antlers, which will branch up quite high, and plenty of space below for the body and legs.

Our reindeer is facing forward, so keep the oval nice and straight up and down. A slightly bigger head than a real reindeer would have makes it look younger and cuter, which is perfect for a Christmas-style drawing.

Step 2 — Add the ears and antlers

On each side of the head, near the top, draw a leaf-shaped ear pointing out sideways, a bit like a little canoe with pointed ends. Draw a smaller leaf shape inside each ear for the inner ear, which you'll color a lighter shade later.

Now draw the antlers on top of the head, one on each side between the ears. Start each antler with a curved line going up and slightly outward, then add two or three short branches sticking out from it, like twigs on a tree. Draw the antlers as thin double lines so they have a little thickness.

Step 3 — Draw the body

Below the head, draw a rounded bean shape for the body. Since the reindeer is facing us, the body can sit right under the head and stretch a little wider than the head on both sides. The head should overlap the top of the body slightly so the neck doesn't show.

Keep the body soft and round rather than long and skinny. A plump, bean-shaped body keeps your reindeer looking like a cuddly holiday friend and leaves a nice area in the middle for the cream-colored belly.

Step 4 — Add the legs

Under the body, draw four straight legs going down. Because the reindeer faces us, the two front legs are in the middle and a little bigger, and the two back legs peek out on the outer sides, a little shorter. Each leg is simply two straight lines going down, side by side.

At the bottom of each leg, draw a small hoof: a little rounded rectangle with a tiny line up the middle to show the split in the hoof. Keep all four hooves resting on the same imaginary ground line so your reindeer stands steady.

Step 5 — Add the face and scarf

On the face, draw two round eyes in the upper half of the head, each with a white highlight dot. Near the bottom of the head, draw a big round nose, much bigger than you'd give a dog or a cat. Under the nose, add a small, happy curved smile.

Now wrap a scarf around the neck where the head meets the body. Draw two curved lines following the bottom of the head, then add one or two scarf ends hanging down the front, with a few little lines at the bottom for fringe. A few stripes on the scarf look extra cozy.

Step 6 — Finish and color

Go over the lines you want to keep and gently erase the guide lines, especially where the head overlaps the body and where the antlers meet the head. Check that your antlers, ears and legs all look connected and tidy.

Color the head, ears, body and legs a warm brown. Use cream for the belly and a soft patch around the muzzle, and a lighter tan for the antlers and the inside of the ears. Color the nose bright, shiny red, the hooves a darker brown, and the scarf green. Leave the white highlights in the eyes and on the nose uncolored.

Common mistakes to avoid

The antlers are too small or too simple

Short, stubby antlers or two plain straight lines can make a reindeer look like a goat, a cow or even a dog with horns. The antlers are the reindeer's most important feature, so they need to stand out.

Make the antlers tall and give each one two or three little branches. Draw them as double lines so they look thick enough to see clearly, and make sure both sides match.

The nose is small and dark

A tiny dark nose makes your reindeer look like a deer or a horse instead of a cheerful Christmas reindeer. For a holiday drawing, the nose is a big part of the fun.

Draw the nose big and round, color it bright red, and leave a small white shine mark on it. That shiny red nose instantly says Christmas.

The legs are different lengths

When the legs end at different heights, the reindeer can look like it's wobbling, tipping over or floating off the page. Uneven legs are one of the most common problems with standing animals.

Draw a light ground line first and make every leg reach it. Keep the legs straight and about the same width so your reindeer stands tall and proud.

Troubleshooting

My antlers look like tree branches everywhere

If the antlers got too busy, erase a few of the extra branches and keep just two or three on each side. Simpler antlers look cleaner and cuter. Remember, each antler is one main curved line with a few short branches, not a whole tree.

My reindeer looks like a dog

A reindeer that looks like a dog is usually missing its antlers or has floppy ears. Give it tall branching antlers, leaf-shaped ears pointing sideways, straight legs with hooves instead of paws, and a big red nose. Those details change everything.

The scarf looks like a flat stripe

A scarf that looks flat usually has straight edges. Curve both lines of the scarf to follow the round shape of the neck, add a hanging end with a little fringe, and draw a couple of stripes that bend with the scarf. It will look soft and wrapped around.

Key takeaways

FAQ

Is a reindeer easy to draw for kids? Yes — a cartoon reindeer is an oval head, a bean-shaped body and four straight legs, with ears, antlers, a big nose and a scarf added on. Most children aged five and up can finish this sheet in about fifteen to twenty minutes, just in time for the holidays.

How do I draw reindeer antlers? Draw one curved line going up and slightly outward from the top of the head, then add two or three short branches sticking out from it, like twigs on a tree. Draw it with double lines for thickness, then copy it on the other side like a mirror.

What colors do I need for a reindeer drawing? You'll need warm brown for the fur, cream for the belly and muzzle, tan for the antlers, bright red for the nose, green for the scarf and a darker brown for the hooves. A white gel pen is great for adding shine and snowflakes.

What's the difference between drawing a reindeer and a deer? A cartoon reindeer usually has bigger, more branching antlers, a plumper body and a cozy holiday look, like a big red nose and a scarf. A deer is often drawn slimmer, with a small dark nose, white spots on a fawn, or no antlers at all.

And there is your Christmas reindeer! Whether its antlers came out tall and grand or small and sweet, you just drew a cheerful little friend who's ready to help pull Santa's sleigh. Try drawing it again with a Santa hat, some jingle bells or a snowy hill, and come back tomorrow for a new tutorial.

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