Caroline
Reindeer are magnificent animals to behold, but they have also come to gain a more mythological reputation!
They are present in many legends and myths around the world, and most commonly they are said to pull Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve.
Even without this reputation, they are beautiful creatures that many people like to depict in artworks. That is what we will be doing in this guide on how to draw a cartoon reindeer!
We have an adorable representation of this wonderful creature for you to work on, and it will really capture the spirit of the reindeer.
So let’s depict this magnificent creature as we begin this step-by-step guide on how to draw a cartoon reindeer in just 6 fun and easy steps!
How to Draw A Cartoon Reindeer – Let’s Get Started!
Step 1
We shall begin with the head and face of this cartoon reindeer drawing in this first step of the guide. First, draw a simple round shape for the big nose of the reindeer.
Then, we will be attaching the rest of the head to this nose.
The muzzle of the reindeer will be large and rounded, and then there will be a thinner rounded shape attached to that for the back of the head.
That’s really all you need to do for this first step, so let’s head to the next parts where we will keep building onto this drawing!
Step 2 – Now, draw some ears and other details
Continuing with this guide on how to draw a cartoon reindeer, we will add some ears and a collar to the reindeer now.
Each ear will be drawn as a simple long, rounded shape pointing out from the sides of the head. Then, each one will have a curved line going through the middle.
Once the ears are drawn, we will then move on to the collar. This collar can be drawn as a simple flat, curved shape at the base of the neck.
It will have a little medallion hanging from it, and this will be a simple circle. You could make this a bit bigger and add detail such as some initials onto it!
Step 3 – Next, draw the smiling mouth of the reindeer
We will keep things simple for this third step of the guide! In this part, we will be adding a smiling mouth for the reindeer.
To do this, simply draw a curved line inside the muzzle portion of the face. This will then have a smaller curved line at the corner, as shown in the reference image.
It’s as simple as that, so let’s keep on moving through the guide!
Step 4 – Now, draw the face and body
In this part of your cartoon reindeer drawing, we will be adding quite a lot to the composition! It may look a little intimidating, but we will break down each element.
We shall begin with the eyes on the face. These will be drawn as some simple oval shapes connected to one another.
Then, each eye will have a smaller black oval inside. These black ovals will have a white dot to show the glint in the eye.
Then, we can move on to the body of the reindeer. The body is quite stylized, and it will be drawn using a large, rounded shape.
The tail at the back will be drawn using some curved lines that culminate in a pointy tip, and then we will add the legs.
The legs will be comically small compared to the rest of the body, and they will have a simple curved shape with flat bases for the hooves.
Step 5 – Add the final details to your drawing
Something seems to be missing on this reindeer! We shall add this missing element along with any final touches in this step of our guide on how to draw a cartoon reindeer!
Reindeer are recognizable for their intricate antlers, and these are what we shall add now. These will come off the top of the head in a branch-like fashion.
They will be drawn using some curvy, rounded lines to make the pattern.
You could make them even larger if you prefer as well! Then you could also add any extra details of your own that you may like.
A great way to do this would be to draw a lovely Christmas-themed background, as reindeer are closely associated with this holiday.
What other ideas do you have for this cartoon reindeer?
Step 6 – Finish off your drawing with color
This is the final step of this guide, and in this one we shall finish off with some coloring fun! We went with a bit of a muted approach for our reference image.
We used various shades of browns for the fur of the reindeer, and this helps to give it a more realistic look.
By using darker shades in certain areas, we can also create some shading for the reindeer.
We also used reds for the collar with yellow for the medallion hanging from it. Finally, we finished off with some pinks for the inner ears.
Now it’s up to you to decide how you will finish off this image! There are so many great colors you could use whether you take inspiration from our example or not.
Do this to take your cartoon reindeer drawing to the next level
Find out some ways you can make your cartoon reindeer sketch even more magical!
This drawing of a cartoon reindeer shows an adorable regular reindeer. Of course, the most famous reindeer character would have to be Rudolph the red nosed reindeer.
You could easily change this cartoon reindeer into this famous character! All you would have to do if you wanted to do this would be to give him a red, shining nose.
Using a bright red done with a medium such as a colored pen would make the nose really shine off the page. Do you think you will turn this cartoon reindeer into this famous character?
Reindeers are also often associated with Christmas, as they are said to pull Santa’s sleigh through the night sky. For this reason, you could add some more reindeer to the picture!
They could all be reigned together to make it look like they are pulling the sleigh. All you would need to do is follow the guide again and then give each reindeer some unique characteristics.
How many would you like to add?
If you do add some more reindeer to your cartoon reindeer drawing, you could take it a step further and add Santa’s sleigh. This would really finish off the Christmas feeling of the picture!
If you do add the sleigh, you could even add Santa himself and draw him in a cartoon style. Is there a sleigh design you would like to use as inspiration?
Finally, we would recommend adding a background to finish off your cartoon reindeer sketch. The background you use would depend on which additions you have added.
For example, if you drew the sleigh with more reindeer then they could be flying above a town to deliver presents. If you kept this cartoon reindeer on its own, then it could be in a simple snowy setting.
These are just a few ideas, but there are so many fun backgrounds you could use! Where else could you set this drawing?
Your Cartoon Reindeer Drawing is Complete!
That does it for all 6 steps of this guide on how to draw a cartoon reindeer! We hope that you had a marvelous time working on this wonderful depiction of this incredible animal.
We wanted to make sure that these steps would make it easy as well as fun, so hopefully that goal was achieved as well!
Now you can keep your creativity flowing as you decide on some extra details and additions for this charming drawing.
You can also have a great time playing around with colors and art mediums to really bring it to life, so have fun getting creative!
Then, you can continue the fun on our website. Here we have tons of awesome drawing guides that are all free for you to enjoy and share with others.
Lastly, you can show us how amazing your cartoon reindeer drawing looks by sharing your finished artwork on our Facebook and Pinterest pages for us to see!
