In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Red Deer step-by-step. Red Deer have antlers that can grow to 45 inches and weigh 11 lbs! Only the males (stags) have antlers which are made of bone and can grow at a rate of 1 inch a day!

 

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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.

 

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

To draw a Red 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 red deer's body. First make four small marks to indicate the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, trace the outer rim of a coin, a lid or any other object with a circular edge. 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: On the right side, draw a slightly smaller circle the same way as a guide for the back section of the body. Don't draw these circles too far apart, otherwise your deer will be too long.

 

 

Step 3: On the top, left side, draw another circle as a guide for the red deer's head. This circle should be about one- fourth the size of the first circle.

 

Step 4: Draw a horizontal line across the head as a guide to help you add the red deer's facial features later. On the top, left side of the horizontal line, add a curved, vertical line for another guide line.

 

 

Step 5: Draw a small circle on the bottom half of the head as a guide for the red deer's muzzle. The lower, left side of the circle should be outside of the head.

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Step 6: Draw a small arc on the top, left side of the head as a guide for the first ear. Add another arc on the top, right side as a guide for the red deer's other ear.

 

Step 7: Above the ear on the left, draw a long curved line as a guide for the first antler. Red deer have big antlers, so don't draw this guide line too small. Above the ear on the right, draw another long, curved line as a guide for the other antler. Draw the lines about the same height but make the one on the left curve outward a bit more.

 

 

Step 8: Under the circle on the left, draw a long line that bends a bit at the bottom as a guide for the first front leg. Add another line to the left for the red deer's other front leg. This line should bend in the middle to simulate a step forward.

 

Step 9: Draw two more angled lines under the circle on the right as guides for the hind legs. The first line should bend at both ends and again in the middle to represent where the joints will be. The second line should just bend in the middle. Pay attention to the length of the lines in relation to the red deer's body.

 

 

Step 10: Draw two lines that connect the head to the body to create the guide for the neck. Draw two lines to connect the big circles to complete the guide for the red deer's body. The line at the bottom should be curvier than the line at the top.

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

 

Step 11: Inside the head, lightly sketch two small ovals for the eyes. Use the initial lines as guides for placement. When you get the size and position right, darken the red deer's eyes. Make the eye on the left a bit narrower. It should be very close to the edge of the initial circle. As you darken the eye on the right, make the sides pointier so that it resembles a football. Draw a couple of curved lines around the eyes for extra detail on the skin.

 

 

Step 12: Shade the inside of the eyes using a medium value. Inside each eye, near the top, leave a tiny oval blank to represent glare. Draw a short, curved line above each eye to represent the red deer's brow.

 

Step 13: Add the nose by first lightly sketching a small triangle inside the muzzle. The nose should be close to the left edge of the muzzle. When you get the position right, darken the lines. Curve the left side of the nose inward more to create the red deer's nostril. Add a small line at the bottom. Curve the right side of the nose inward too to create the other nostril.

 

 

Step 14: Draw a short, horizontal line under the nose for the mouth. Darken the left side of the small initial circle to create the muzzle. Draw a series of short strokes along the bottom edge of the circle for the red deer's fuzzy chin. Draw a few more short strokes to the left of the nose to complete the muzzle.

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Step 15: Use the arc on the left as a guide to draw the first ear. Darken the basic shape of the arc but make the tip pointier. Use the arc on the right side as a guide to draw the red deer's other ear the same way. Add a few short strokes inside each ear for the fur found there.

 

Step 16: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the red deer's head. As you darken the top part of the head, dip the line a bit in the middle. Draw a line from the nose to the eye on the left to finish the muzzle. Add a few short strokes on the right side for the coat. Draw more short strokes under the head for the loose skin found there.

 

 

Step 17: Use the curved line on the right as a guide to draw the first antler. Darken the path of the guide. This will be the bottom edge of the red deer's antler. Near the top, draw a thin, curved spike for the first branch on the antler. Pay attention to how high this branch is. Make it as tall as the guide. Near the middle of the guide, draw another thin, curved spike for another branch. At the bottom of the guide, right on top of the head, draw another spiky branch the same way.

 

Step 18: Continue to use the line on the right as a guide to draw the first antler. Draw a thin, curved spike between the bottom two for another branch on the red deer's antlers. Make the base of the antlers thicker in between the branches while following the path of the guide. Use the tip of the line as a guide to draw the highest branch. Add another spiked branch on the left side and attach it to the base at the bottom. Leave a gap between these top two branches. Sketch lightly at first and only darken the lines when you get the shapes right. Add a final branch at the top between the gap of the first two branches.

 

 

Step 19: Use the curved line on the left as a guide to draw the red deer's other antler in a similar way. Draw a thin, curved spike along the bottom part of the guide for the antler's first branch. On the right side, draw a line that's somewhat parallel to the guide to make the antler thick. Toward the top, curve the line away from the guide farther to the right. At the top of this line, draw two thin, curved spikes for more branches. The prongs on this forked branch should be pretty close together.

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Step 20: Continue drawing the branches on this antler using the initial line as a guide. Draw a thin, curved spike along the tip of the guide for another branch on the red deer's antler. On the left side, draw another curved spike for another antler branch. Now that the top four branches are done, just draw two more along left side of the guide. Curve the spikes to the left then up. Don't make them too big. Make them small and thin enough to fit above the ear.

 

Step 21: Use the second line from the left as a guide to draw the first front leg. Follow the guide and lightly sketch the shape of the red deer's leg around it. Add a small bulge near the middle of the leg to indicate the joint. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. Make the deer's hoof at the bottom square- like and add the dewclaw on the right. The leg should be wide at the top. Add a short line on the hoof to split it.

 

 

Step 22: Use the line on the far left side as a guide to draw the second front leg the same way. Follow the path of the guide and draw the shape of the leg around it. Pay attention to how the leg curves as the deer steps forward. Make the hoof blocky at the bottom and don't forget the dewclaws. Make the red deer's leg wide at the top and split the hoof at the bottom using a short line.

 

Step 23: Use the line on the far right side as a guide to draw the first hind leg. Follow the path of the guide and draw the shape of the red deer's leg around it. Sketch lightly at first to get the shape right. When you get the shape of the leg right, darken the lines. The shape of the leg should be wide at the top and gradually get thinner toward the bottom. Curve the lines to emphasize the muscles and joints. Add the red deer's square-like hoof at the bottom and the dewclaw.

 

 

Step 24: Use the last line under the body as a guide to draw the red deer's other hind leg the same way. Lightly sketch the leg around the guide and only darken the lines when you get the shape right. Make the leg wide at the top and thin at the bottom, and curve the shape at the joint. Add the deer's blocky split hoof at the bottom and the dewclaw on the right.

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Step 25: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the red deer's body. Draw a series of short strokes below the head for the longer hair on the neck. The longer you make these strokes on the neck, the bigger the mane will be. Darken the outer edges of the rest of the guides to create the shape of the body. As you draw the body, don't overlap the legs that are on this side of the body. On the left side, draw a small, curved shape with a pointy bottom for the red deer's tail pointing down.

 

 

Step 26: 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 red deer drawing for extra detail. Use a dark value on the nose but leave a strip at the top blank for shine. Use a medium value for the head but leave the muzzle, the area around the eyes and the ears blank. Use a dark value for the mane on the neck. Separate each individual stroke a bit so that the white of the paper comes through and emphasizes the texture of the red deer's mane. Gradually transition from the dark value of the mane to a medium color for the body. As you shade, use strokes that go in the general direction of the deer's coat. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Use a dark value throughout the red deer's body to create shadows and give the drawing more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add some shadows to the antlers using a dark value too. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw. Remember to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the deer so it doesn't appear to be floating.

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