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Draw a Nativity Manger Scene: Crib, Figures and Animals
Plan and draw a manger scene with a crib, figures and animals using proportion guides, clear placement steps and a checkable rubric.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Object Drawing Lessons
This lesson teaches a reliable way to compose and draw a nativity manger scene that includes a crib, at least one human figure and two animals. You will use a simple proportion guide, place the crib first, then build figures and animals around it. The convention for judging size and placement is explicit: x-height means the distance from the baseline to the midline of a letter or figure, and letter styles vary, so valid alternatives are accepted when proportions and overlaps are consistent. All measurements are hypothetical examples; measure your own paper and tools before drawing.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Set up the plate and proportion guide
Choose a drawing surface and mark a light border. A hypothetical example is a 20 cm by 15 cm practice box on ordinary paper. Measure your actual paper and pencil, then label your chosen values as examples rather than standards.
Draw a baseline near the lower third of the box and a midline above it. The distance from baseline to midline is the x-height for the main figure. Use this same x-height to compare the crib, figure and animals so the scene reads as one scale.
- Measure the practice box and write the width and height in centimetres.
- Mark a baseline and a midline; label the baseline-to-midline distance as the figure x-height.
- Draw a light vertical centre guide for the crib.
- Sketch a proportion guide: crib width about two x-heights, crib height about one and a half x-heights.
Place the crib and the main figure
The crib anchors the composition. Draw a shallow rectangular cradle with a curved or angled base, then add simple side rails. Keep the crib centred or slightly off-centre so figures can stand beside it without crowding.
Place the main figure beside the crib. The figure's head should sit near the midline, and the feet should touch the baseline. Use simple shapes: an oval head, a tapered body and straight or slightly bent limbs. Letter styles and figure styles vary, so accept any clear human silhouette that respects the x-height guide.
- Draw the crib body as a shallow box, then add two side rails and a front rail.
- Mark the main figure's feet on the baseline and head near the midline.
- Block the figure with an oval head, a body shape and two arms reaching toward the crib.
- Check that the crib and figure do not overlap confusingly; adjust spacing if needed.
Add two animals and finish the scene
Add two animals with distinct silhouettes, such as a standing donkey and a smaller sheep. Keep animal body length about one x-height and head height about half an x-height. Place one animal behind the crib and one to the side so the scene has depth.
Finish with simple ground lines, a few stable posts and a light roof edge if desired. Avoid decorative ornament construction; the goal is a readable manger scene, not a manufactured object. Check overlaps: the crib should remain visible, the figure should be identifiable and both animals should be distinguishable.
- Sketch the first animal behind the crib with a body oval, four legs and a head shape.
- Sketch the second animal to the side with a smaller body and clear ears or horns.
- Add ground lines and simple stable posts without hiding the crib.
- Erase unnecessary guide lines and darken the final outlines.
Worked example
A practice box is 20 cm wide and 15 cm high. The baseline is 10 cm from the top and the midline is 6 cm from the top. Draw a crib, one figure and two animals using the x-height guide, with crib width about two x-heights and crib height about one and a half x-heights.
Worked answer
The x-height is 10 minus 6 equals 4 cm. The crib width is about 2 times 4 equals 8 cm, and the crib height is about 1.5 times 4 equals 6 cm. Place the crib centred with its base near the baseline. The figure's feet touch the baseline and the head sits near the midline, so the figure is about 4 cm tall. Each animal body is about 4 cm long and each head about 2 cm high. Put one animal behind the crib and one to the side. Check that the crib remains visible and both animals are distinguishable.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
In a practice box, the baseline is 12 cm from the top and the midline is 8 cm from the top. Calculate the x-height, then state the example crib width and height using two x-heights wide and one and a half x-heights high.
Show answer and check
X-height is 12 minus 8 equals 4 cm. Crib width is 2 times 4 equals 8 cm. Crib height is 1.5 times 4 equals 6 cm.
Why: Subtract the midline position from the baseline position to get the x-height. Multiply by the given proportion factors for crib width and height.
Check: Recheck the subtraction and multiplication, and confirm the crib fits inside the practice box with room for figures and animals.
Exercise 2
A figure's feet are on the baseline at 12 cm from the top and its head is at 8 cm from the top. A second figure is drawn with head at 7 cm from the top and feet at 12 cm from the top. Which figure matches the x-height guide of 4 cm, and by how much does the other differ?
Show answer and check
The first figure matches: 12 minus 8 equals 4 cm. The second figure is 12 minus 7 equals 5 cm, so it is 1 cm taller than the guide.
Why: Compare each head-to-feet distance with the x-height. The difference is the absolute difference between the measured height and 4 cm.
Check: Measure both head and feet positions again and confirm the subtraction; accept the first figure as consistent with the guide.
Exercise 3
An animal body is drawn 5 cm long and its head is 2.5 cm high. The x-height is 4 cm. State whether the body length and head height are within the example guide of one x-height and half an x-height, and give the differences.
Show answer and check
Body length is 5 cm, which is 1 cm longer than the 4 cm guide. Head height is 2.5 cm, which is 0.5 cm less than the 2 cm guide. The body is too long by 1 cm and the head is too short by 0.5 cm.
Why: Subtract the guide values from the drawn values: 5 minus 4 equals 1, and 2.5 minus 2 equals 0.5. Report absolute differences.
Check: Re-measure the animal body and head, recalculate the differences, and decide whether to adjust the drawing or accept it as a valid alternative if the silhouette remains clear.
Exercise 4
A scene has a crib 8 cm wide and 6 cm high, a figure 4 cm tall, and two animals each 4 cm long. The practice box is 20 cm wide and 15 cm high. Estimate whether the crib, figure and two animals can fit without overlapping confusingly if placed with the crib centred, one animal behind and one to the side. Give a simple width check.
Show answer and check
A simple width check is crib width 8 cm plus one side animal length 4 cm plus spacing of about 2 cm, totalling 14 cm, which is less than 20 cm. The scene can fit with the crib centred, one animal behind and one to the side, provided the figure is placed beside the crib and overlaps are checked.
Why: Add the main horizontal elements and a small spacing allowance, then compare with the box width. This is an estimate, not a precise layout guarantee.
Check: Measure the actual drawn widths, add them with spacing, and confirm the total is less than the box width; then check that the crib remains visible and both animals are distinguishable.
Common mistakes
- Drawing the crib much larger than the figure, so the scene looks like furniture rather than a manger. Use the x-height guide: crib width about two x-heights and crib height about one and a half x-heights, then compare the figure head-to-baseline distance.
- Placing both animals in front of the crib, which flattens the composition. Put one animal behind the crib and one to the side, and check that each animal's body length is about one x-height.
- Letting guide lines remain dark and confusing the final silhouette. Erase or lighten guides before darkening outlines, and check that the crib, figure and two animals are each clearly readable.
Self-check rubric
- Crib is present, readable and roughly two x-heights wide and one and a half x-heights high.
- At least one human figure is present with feet near the baseline and head near the midline.
- Two animals are present with distinct silhouettes and body lengths near one x-height.
- Composition places one animal behind the crib and one to the side, keeping the crib visible.
- Guide lines are lightened or erased and final outlines are clear.
- Valid alternatives in figure and animal style are accepted when proportions and overlaps are consistent.
Questions and answers
Do I need to draw exactly one figure and two animals?
The brief requires a crib, figures and animals. One main figure and two animals is the minimum clear composition; additional figures are acceptable if the crib remains visible and proportions stay consistent.
What does x-height mean here?
X-height is the distance from the baseline to the midline of a letter or figure. Use it as a repeatable unit to compare the crib, figure and animals. Letter styles vary, so the guide is a proportion tool, not a fixed template.
Can I use different animal shapes?
Yes. Any two animals with distinct silhouettes are valid if their body length is about one x-height and their heads are about half an x-height. Check that both animals are distinguishable from the crib and figure.
Are the centimetre values required?
No. The 20 cm by 15 cm box and the x-height values are hypothetical examples. Measure your actual paper and label your chosen values as examples.