Caroline
The unicorn is a mythical legendary creature that is essentially a horse with a pair of wings and a sharp, pointed horn projecting from its forehead.
We’ve all dreamt of seeing a unicorn in real life, but the chances of actually seeing one is improbable.
Why not learn how to draw a unicorn instead? By drawing a unicorn, you can see it up close and personal.
Fortunately, we have created a step-by-step process on how to draw a unicorn, summed up in 9 quick and easy steps.
Each instruction comes with an illustration that serves as your visual guide as you follow the steps, making the process a lot easier for you.
All you need is a piece of paper and your favorite drawing tool and you’re all set to draw a unicorn!
Have fun and take advantage of your imagination!
How to Draw a Unicorn – Let’s get started!
Step 1
Start by drawing two connected curvy pointed shapes on the upper left portion of your paper. This forms the mane at the top of the unicorn’s head.
Afterward, draw a tapered oval shape on both sides of the mane to create the unicorn’s pair of ears.
To make sure that the unicorn will be drawn in the center, you can create reference lines by drawing an intersecting horizontal and vertical line across your paper.
This should divide your paper into four spaces. The space on the upper left marks the spot where you should draw the mane and the ears.
This ensures that there’s sufficient space for the unicorn’s entire head and body.
Step 2 – Create an Outline of the Unicorn’s Head
Draw the shape of the unicorn’s head right underneath the mane and the ears that we drew in the previous step. Don’t forget to put emphasis on the unicorn’s jaw and muzzle.
The shape of the unicorn’s head should look like a typical horse’s head.
Step 3 – Afterwards, Draw the Unicorn’s Long Mane
Draw an elongated narrow shape along the back of the neck of the unicorn. This creates the long, thick mane of the unicorn.
Keep in mind that the two clumps of hair that we drew in the first step and the mane we’re drawing in this step should be directly connected.
Make sure to add pointed clumps of hair on the mane to add texture, making the mane look soft and realistic!
Step 4 – Next, Outline the Body of the Unicorn
Draw a sideways irregular oval shape underneath the head of the unicorn. This shape forms the unicorn’s body.
Make sure that both sides of the body are rounded, forming the beefy build of the unicorn.
Step 5 – Then, Draw the Front Legs of the Unicorn
Below the unicorn’s chest, draw two parallel vertical lines with a horizontal line at the bottom. This creates one front leg of the unicorn.
Afterwards, draw a similar shape right beside the first front leg to complete the unicorn’s two front legs. Since the unicorn is facing sideways, the front leg at the back isn’t fully visible.
Don’t forget to erase any lines from the torso that overlaps inside the legs! This will ensure that your drawing looks neat, and most importantly, refined.
Step 6 – Complete All Four Legs of the Unicorn
Repeat the previous step underneath the bottom back of the unicorn. This creates the unicorn’s pair of hind legs..
After completing this step, all four legs of the unicorn should be fully formed, as shown in the illustration above.
Step 7 – Afterwards, Add the Unicorn’s Furry Tail
Draw a curved shape with a pointed tip attached on the lower back of the unicorn.
This forms the unicorn’s thick, furry tail.
Step 8 – Next, Draw the Unicorn’s Pointed Horn
Draw a narrow, pointed shape attached on the forehead of the unicorn. This creates the sharp horn—one of the unicorn’s most distinct physical features.
Afterwards, draw a horizontal right above the edge of each foot, creating the appearance of hooves, which are basically the soles in their feet.
Step 9 – Add Patterns and Details on the Unicorn
Draw two parallel diagonal lines across the horn of the unicorn. Then, draw an upright oval shape within the ear to form the inside ear.
Afterwards, draw a curved line to create the outline of the unicorn’s muzzle. Next, draw an oval shape for the eyes and a small shaded circle inside the muzzle for the nose.
Moving on to the details of the unicorn’s body, draw a curved line at the bottom of its body to outline the body’s underside.
Now that we’ve successfully drawn a magical unicorn, it’s time for the much-awaited step, which is coloring the unicorn!
Unicorns are typically depicted with a white color, which signifies purity and grace. However, it is believed that unicorns also exist in a wide range of colors such as silver, green, and more vibrant colors.
Feel free to use any color you like to create a one-of-a-kind unicorn. Always remember, the sky’s the limit to your imagination—make use of it!
Bonus: Try Out Some Different Styles For This Unicorn Drawing
We’re nearing the end of this guide on how to draw a unicorn, but we wanted to include a few more ideas before you get to the final steps. For starters, we thought it would be interesting to make some variations on the style.
As you will see in the reference image, the unicorn in this drawing is done in a simple cartoon style. This looks really cute, but wouldn’t it be interesting to try out a different style?
This idea would be best suited to people who are a bit more confident in their drawing abilities. The reason we say that is that it involves drawing a realistic horse.
Drawing horses is considered one of the toughest challenges in the art world. The idea of drawing a horse can make the most experienced artists shake with fear, but it can be easier if you prepare!
The best way to make it easier would be to look up some pictures and diagrams of horses. If you can find some pictures that are posed similarly to the drawing you would like to make, then even better.
Try to build up your drawing with some pencil sketches that build up in detail as you go along. You can start adding finer details with your pen when you’re happy with it, and soon you will have your horse.
However, we’re drawing a unicorn, not a horse, so we will need to add a horn! Luckily, that should be much easier than drawing a horse, so the hardest part is done.
Simply add a large horn to the head of your horse and you will have a realistic unicorn. Will you try to create this unicorn drawing in a more realistic style or will you keep it as is?
Do this to take your unicorn drawing to the next level
Make this unicorn drawing even more magical with these amazing suggestions!
Unicorns are beloved around the world, but there are also many other fantasy creatures that people love!
Once you have finished this unicorn sketch, one fun idea would be to add some more fantasy creatures around it.
These could be fairies, pixies and dragons or even some goblins, trolls and orcs. It’s up to you, and you can have a ton of fun designing all of these different creatures!
The only limit is your imagination, so enjoy trying out different ideas and see what happens!
When you have settled on the design of this drawing of a unicorn, you could also create a background for it. Unicorns are fantasy creatures, so that gives you a ton of freedom with the design you choose.
They could be in a magical kingdom or a forest, or you could create a truly unique and wacky background. This is another suggestion where you can really let your imagination run wild.
There are no wrong answers here, so have fun with it and see what fantastical creations you can come up with!
We love the design of this unicorn sketch, but you could also change up some details when you have learned the design. For example, you could use some photos of real horses to change some of the details and proportions of this unicorn.
That’s one idea, but you could also try and make it even more cartoony and stylistic! What sort of approach would you take for this unicorn if you were to change the design?
We covered some of the colors you could use for this unicorn sketch, but we want to emphasize how important they can be for a drawing like this! The colors you use are just a part of this process, however.
You can also have lots of fun choosing mediums like paints, colored pens or markers to make the colors pop.
You could also make this design even more magical by adding crafts such as glitters around your drawing!
Your Unicorn Drawing is Complete!
We hope you enjoy this step-by-step unicorn drawing. If you had fun drawing a unicorn, then you’ll surely have a good time drawing other legendary creatures like a dragon!
Check out our “How to Draw” catalog to explore more interesting drawing tutorials like this.
Once you’ve finished drawing and coloring a unicorn, don’t forget to show off your masterpiece! Take a picture of your artwork and share it on our Facebook page and on Pinterest.
Don’t be embarrassed, we’re sure it looks incredible because you’ve worked hard for it.
We would love to see your magnificent unicorn drawing!
Here Is A Cute Unicorn Drawing To Inspire You!
The unicorn is a mythical creature that many of us wish were real! While they may not actually walk the earth, we can always imagine having one of our own with the pictures we draw.
This cute unicorn drawing for kids was created by our artist Amanda to help you with your own drawing. She made such a charming design that has some lovely details, especially on the mane.
She also drew a lovely tail and some background elements around the unicorn as well. These are just a small taste of the details you can add to your own cute unicorn sketch.
If you decide to color your picture, then some glitter over the drawing would help to add some extra magic to your picture. What are some other arts and crafts you could use for the unicorn?
