In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Musk Deer step-by-step.

Stay tuned for more free drawing lessons by:

Liking us on Facebook>>

Subscribing on YouTube.com>>

Following us on Instagram>>

All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

RELATED TUTORIALS

To draw this Musk Deer step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a circle near the middle of the paper as a guide for the front part of the musk deer's body. To draw the circle, make four marks to determine height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: To the left, draw another circle the same way as a guide for the back portion of the body. This circle should be about the same size as the first circle. Place it a bit higher. Don't place the circles too far apart, otherwise the musk deer's body will be too long.

Step 3: On the top, right side, draw yet another circle as a guide for the musk deer's head. Use the four-marks method to draw it. This circle should be about one-fourth the size of the first circle. Pay attention to the distance between this circle and the first one, as this will determine the length of the deer's neck. On the right side of this circle, draw a small arc as a guide for the muzzle.

Step 4: On top of the head, draw a short, thin arc as a guide for the musk deer's first ear. To the right, draw a thin arc that's slightly tilted as a guide for the other ear.

Step 5: Under the first circle, draw two long, vertical lines as guides for the front legs. Pay attention to the length of the legs in relation to the musk deer's body. Bend the lines to indicate the joints.

---

Step 6: Draw two long, angled lines under the second circle as guides for the musk deer's hind legs. Notice how these lines bend. The line on the right should bend near the middle and slope to the right.

Step 7: Draw two curved lines that connect the circles on the right as a guide for the neck. Connect the circles in the middle using two longer lines to complete the guide for the musk deer's torso.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 8: Inside the head, near the top, right side, lightly sketch a small circle for the deer's eye. When you get the size and position right, darken the lines but make the sides pointier. Add a curved line at the top and a broken line at the bottom for the eyelid and fur. Inside the eye, off to the side, draw a tiny circle for a highlight. In the middle, draw a big dot for the pupil. Shade in the rest of the musk deer's eye but don't overlap the tiny highlight circle. As you shade the eye, use a slightly lighter value near the bottom for a more rounded look.

Step 9: Lightly sketch a small circle on the tip of the muzzle for the musk deer's nose. Darken the shape when you get the position right. Use short strokes for the fur at the top. Curve the left side inward to create the deer's round nostril. Make the bottom part of the nose thinner as you darken the lines.

---

Step 10: Under the nose, lightly sketch a line that curves to the left for the mouth. When you get the length of the line right, darken it using short strokes for some fur. On the left side of the mouth, draw a thin, long, curved, spike-like shape for the musk deer's distinctive tusk. On the right, draw a smaller spike for the other tusk peeking from behind the lower jaw. Darken a bit of the initial arc for the chin and top part of the muzzle.

Step 11: Darken the arc on the top, left side of the head for the first ear. Use short strokes for a furry texture. Draw the base of the ear farther down inside the head. Use a series of short strokes within the shape for the furry ear opening. Use the arc on the right as a guide to draw the musk deer's other ear the same way.

Step 12: Use the initial circle and arc as guides to draw the rest of the head. Darken the outer edges of the guides to create the shape of the musk deer's head. Make the muzzle thinner. Use short strokes as you draw the bottom and back of the head for the fur. Follow the edge of the initial circle as you draw the head but leave a gap at the bottom for the deer's neck. Draw a series of short strokes within the head to emphasize the structure with fur.

Step 13: Use the second line from the right as a guide to draw the musk deer's first front leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the leg around it. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Use short strokes at the top for fur. The top of the shape should be wide and then gradually get thinner toward the bottom. At the bottom, draw two small, triangular shapes for the deer's hoof and a smaller shape on the left for the dewclaw.

Step 14: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the musk deer's other front leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide. Make the top part wide and the bottom thin. Bend the shape slightly at the bottom. Also at the bottom, draw the hoof and the dewclaw.

---

Step 15: Use the angled line on the far left side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Follow the path of the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the deer's leg around it. The top of the hind leg should be a lot wider than the top of the front leg. When you get the shape right, darken the lines. This leg bends a lot more than the front leg too. Use a couple of small, triangular shapes at the bottom to draw the musk deer's hoof and the dewclaw.

Step 16: Use the last angled line under the body as a guide to draw the musk deer's other hind leg the same way. Draw the shape of the leg around the guide. Make the top part wide and the bottom thin. Bend the leg near the top for the joint. Add the hoof and dewclaw at the bottom using small triangles.

Step 17: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the musk deer's body. Simply darken the outer edges of the guides to create the shape of the body. Use short strokes on the bottom for the fur and don't overlap the legs that are on this side of the deer's body.

Step 18: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Add some shading to your musk deer drawing for extra detail. Use a medium value all over the body. Use a lighter value inside the ears, around the eye and on the lower jaw. Use a dark value for the deer's nose. Shade lightly at first and then gradually build up to a darker value. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Draw a thin stripe on the musk deer's chest. As you shade the body, leave some spots blank at the top for the pattern on the fur. Use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Different species of musk deer have different coats, so use reference for an accurate depiction.

Use a darker value throughout the musk deer's body to create shadows. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace. Add a cast shadow underneath to ground the deer so that it doesn't appear to be floating.

Thanks for visiting! Subscribe to the How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every week.

To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

RELATED TUTORIALS