Free original lessons
Cartoon Reindeer Drawing: Body Shapes, Antlers, and Hooves
Learn to draw a cartoon reindeer using simple body shapes, branched antlers, and clear hooves. Includes a step sequence, practice tasks, and a fair rubric.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Object Drawing Lessons
This lesson teaches a repeatable way to draw a cartoon reindeer. You will build the animal from a few large shapes, add branched antlers, define hooves, and place a friendly face. The method is simplified and stylized, not realistic deer anatomy. Work on plain paper with a pencil and eraser. Keep your lines light until the final pass. The convention for judging size and placement is simple: the body is a rounded oval, the head is a smaller oval, and the legs are short rectangles. X-height is not used here because this is a drawing task, not handwriting; instead, use the body oval as your reference shape. Letter styles and personal flourishes are allowed as long as the reindeer remains readable. All measurements below are hypothetical examples for practice, not standards. Measure your own paper and pencil if you want exact values.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Build the body from large shapes
Start with a rounded oval for the body. A hypothetical example is an oval about 8 cm wide and 5 cm tall on A4 paper. Draw it lightly. Add a smaller oval for the head above and slightly to one side. Connect the head to the body with a short neck rectangle. Add four short leg rectangles below the body. Keep the legs equal in length at first; you can vary them later for a walking pose.
Check the proportions by comparing the head oval to the body oval. In this cartoon convention, the head is roughly half the width of the body. If your head is too large, erase and redraw it smaller. The goal is a clear silhouette that reads as a reindeer before any details are added.
- Draw a light rounded oval for the body.
- Draw a smaller oval for the head above and slightly to one side.
- Add a short neck rectangle connecting head and body.
- Add four short leg rectangles below the body.
- Check that the head is about half the body width.
Add branched antlers
Antlers grow from the top of the head. Draw two main stems curving upward and outward. Add branches by drawing short lines that split from each stem. A simple cartoon antler can have two or three branches per side. Vary the branch count between drawings to practice control. Keep branches on the same side roughly balanced, but exact symmetry is not required.
Use the head oval as your anchor. The antler stems should start near the top edge of the head oval, not floating above it. If a branch crosses another line, decide which line is in front and erase the hidden part. This keeps the antlers readable.
- Mark two starting points on the top edge of the head oval.
- Draw a curved main stem upward and outward from each point.
- Add two or three short branches per stem.
- Erase hidden line parts where branches cross.
- Check that both antlers attach to the head oval.
Define hooves and face
Hooves are the dark ends of the legs. Draw a small rectangle or wedge at the bottom of each leg rectangle. Shade the hoof end lightly or leave it outlined; either is acceptable if the hoof is clearly separate from the leg. For the face, add two small oval eyes, a rounded muzzle, and a simple nose. A small smile line is optional. Keep the face centered on the head oval.
Check the hooves by counting four distinct hoof shapes. Check the face by confirming that both eyes sit inside the head oval and the muzzle touches the lower edge. These checks make the cartoon readable at a glance.
- Draw a small hoof shape at the bottom of each leg.
- Shade or outline each hoof so it separates from the leg.
- Add two small oval eyes inside the head oval.
- Add a rounded muzzle and a nose.
- Count four hooves and check eye placement.
Worked example
Draw a cartoon reindeer with a body oval 8 cm wide and 5 cm tall, a head oval 4 cm wide, two antler stems with two branches each, and four hooves. Describe the order and the checks.
Worked answer
Draw the body oval first, then the head oval above and slightly to one side. Add a short neck rectangle. Draw four leg rectangles below the body, each about 3 cm long. Add a small hoof shape at each leg end. Draw two antler stems from the top edge of the head oval, each with two short branches. Add two eyes, a muzzle, and a nose. Check: head width is about half the body width; four hooves are visible; both antler stems touch the head oval; eyes sit inside the head oval.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
Draw a cartoon reindeer with a body oval 6 cm wide and 4 cm tall, a head oval 3 cm wide, two antler stems with two branches each, and four hooves. Use light lines first.
Show answer and check
A completed drawing showing a 6 cm by 4 cm body oval, a 3 cm head oval above and slightly to one side, a short neck, four leg rectangles with hoof shapes, two antler stems attached to the head, and simple face details.
Why: The body and head sizes follow the given measurements, and the antler and hoof counts match the prompt. The head is half the body width, which keeps the cartoon balanced.
Check: Measure the body oval and head oval with a ruler. Count four hooves and two antler stems. Confirm each stem touches the head oval and each has two branches.
Exercise 2
Redraw the same reindeer but change the antler branch count to three branches per side. Keep the body and head sizes the same.
Show answer and check
A drawing identical in body and head size to the first exercise, but with three branches on each antler stem instead of two.
Why: Changing only the branch count practices control while keeping the rest of the drawing stable. Three branches per side is still readable and not cluttered.
Check: Count the branches on each antler stem; each should have three. Confirm the body and head measurements match the first exercise.
Exercise 3
Draw a cartoon reindeer in a walking pose. Keep four legs, but make two legs slightly forward and two slightly back. Add four hooves and two antler stems with two branches each.
Show answer and check
A cartoon reindeer with the same body and head shapes, but the leg rectangles angled slightly forward and back. Four hooves are visible and the antlers have two branches per stem.
Why: Angling the legs changes the pose without changing the basic shapes. The hoof count and antler count stay the same, so the reindeer remains readable.
Check: Count four legs and four hooves. Check that two legs angle forward and two angle back. Count two antler stems and two branches per stem.
Exercise 4
Draw a cartoon reindeer and add a simple scarf shape around the neck. Keep the antlers, hooves, and face clear. Use a body oval 7 cm wide and 4.5 cm tall.
Show answer and check
A cartoon reindeer with a 7 cm by 4.5 cm body oval, a head oval about 3.5 cm wide, four hooves, two antler stems with two or three branches each, and a scarf rectangle or curved band around the neck.
Why: The scarf is an added accessory, but the core reindeer cues remain: branched antlers, four hooves, and a clear face. The body measurement is followed.
Check: Measure the body oval. Count four hooves and two antler stems. Confirm the scarf does not cover the face or hide the antler attachment points.
Common mistakes
- Drawing antlers that float above the head instead of attaching to it. Start each antler stem on the top edge of the head oval and redraw the connection.
- Making the head much larger than the body, so the silhouette looks unbalanced. Compare head width to body width; redraw the head at about half the body width.
- Leaving hooves undefined so the legs look like plain rectangles. Add a small separate hoof shape at each leg end and outline or shade it.
- Adding too many antler branches until the shape becomes cluttered. Limit each side to two or three branches and erase crossing lines.
Self-check rubric
- Body and head are built from clear oval shapes and the head is roughly half the body width.
- Four legs are present and each leg ends in a distinct hoof shape.
- Two antler stems attach to the head oval and each has two or three branches.
- Face details sit inside the head oval and the muzzle touches the lower edge.
- The drawing is readable as a cartoon reindeer; personal style variations are allowed if the cues above remain clear.
Questions and answers
Do I need to make the antlers perfectly symmetrical?
No. Cartoon antlers can be slightly different on each side. Keep the branch count close and make sure both stems attach to the head.
How large should the drawing be?
Any size that fits your paper. A hypothetical example is an 8 cm body oval on A4 paper. Measure your own paper and choose a size that leaves room for antlers.
Can I use a pen instead of a pencil?
Yes, but pencil allows erasing during the light-line stage. If you use pen, plan the large shapes first and keep details simple.
What if my reindeer looks more like a horse?
Check the antlers and hooves first. Clear branched antlers and four distinct hooves are the main cues that make the cartoon read as a reindeer.