How to Draw a Deer Step by Step

For me, a deer is the symbol of autumn—the time when the males of this timid species turn into the real kings of the forest, with a crown of antlers on their heads. Of all the deer species, my favorite is the red deer—not as big as a moose, but more regal looking. 

In this realistic deer drawing tutorial, I'll show you how to draw a deer step by step: from the sketch, torso, legs, and details of the head to a pair of beautiful antlers.

This realistic deer drawing can also serve as an inspiration or as a base if you're looking for deer logo designs. Did you know you don't need any special design software to create a professional deer logo? Using the Placeit logo maker, you can create a logo in minutes, without leaving your browser. Scroll down after this tutorial to find some top deer logos like this one:

This is a simple tutorial about how to draw a deer. If you want to learn more about deer anatomy and various species, you'll be interested in the tutorial below:

• 
  Drawing
  
  
  How to Draw Animals: Deer - Species and Anatomy
  
  
  Monika Zagrobelna

What You'll Learn in This Realistic Deer Drawing Tutorial

• How to draw a realistic deer sketch


• How to draw a deer's legs


• How to draw a deer's head and antlers


• How to draw a deer's torso


• How to finish a realistic deer drawing

1. How to Draw a Realistic Deer Sketch

The biggest problem with drawing real things is that it's very easy to lose proportions. To avoid such a mistake, we need to plan the body before adding any details. Such a plan should be sketched lightly, so that you can fix anything after you finish it. Let's start drawing a realistic deer sketch.

Step 1

Draw a rectangle. This will be the torso of our deer.

Step 2

Measure the distance to the ground. It should be slightly longer than the width of the torso.

Step 3

Find the points where the limbs start.

Step 4

Sketch the limbs.

Step 5

To add a realistic form of the chest, add a circle to the lower left corner of the rectangle.

Step 6

Add an oval to the front of the rectangle. This is the simplified form of the rotated neck.

Step 7

Sketch the neck.

Step 8

Add the head on top of the neck.

Step 9

Add the muzzle to the head.

Step 10

Add the direction of the ears...

... and their general shape.

Step 11

Sketch the antlers step by step:

2. How to Draw a Deer's Legs

Once you have the sketch deer drawing done, take a good look at it and see if you got the proportions correct. If not, this is the last moment to fix them!

Step 1

The forequarters of many animals can be drawn with a "6" shape, which includes both the shoulder area and the shoulder blade. Draw it for both front legs.

Step 2

Sketch the top of the shoulder blade.

Step 3

Close the whole shoulder area.

Step 4

Sketch the hips.

Step 5

Add a circle in the knee area.

Step 6

The main muscle mass of the thigh can be created by outlining the knee, the hip joint, and the back of the hip.

Step 7

Add the rest of the thigh by connecting the big muscle mass to the other end of the hip.

Step 8

Mark the wrist/ankle area at around 60% of the limb's length.

Step 9

Let's see how to draw deer hooves. Mark the hoof at about one-third of the length below the wrist/ankle.

Step 10

Draw the circle in the joint right above each hoof. It should be quite small.

Step 11

Sketch a general shape of the hoof. This trick can be useful for drawing horses as well.

Step 12

Draw the simplified shapes of the joints. The lower legs of hoofed animals are not very muscular, so the form of the bones should be accentuated instead.

Step 13

Add muscle forms to the forearms and calves.

Step 14

Draw the characteristic space under the Achilles tendon.

Step 15

Outline the whole legs. Keep the parts below the wrist/ankle thinner than the ones above.

Step 16

Finish the shape of the hooves.

Step 17

Deer are even-toed ungulates, and they have four toes—two make the actual hoof, and two are hanging in the back. That's how you learn how to draw deer hooves in a simplified way.

3. How to Draw a Deer's Head and Antlers

Step 1

The sketch deer drawing continues with the head and antlers. Divide the head into thirds.

Step 2

Attach two ovals to the sides, within the middle third.

Step 3

Draw a smaller oval inside, close to the outer edge of the bigger one.

Step 4

Draw a line at about a third of the mouth.

Step 5

Outline the chin and the nose.

Step 6

Add the nose holes.

Step 7

Outline the whole head.

Step 8

Draw two circles to create a base for the ears.

Step 9

Connect the ears to the head by outlining their base.

Step 10

Add circles for the base of the antlers.

Step 11

Mark all the points where you want the antlers to branch out.

Step 12

Sketch the "branches".

Step 13

Add a circle at every branching. This will help you achieve the right thickness of the antlers.

Step 14

Outline the antlers.

4. How to Draw a Deer's Torso

Step 1

Next in the sketch deer drawing: the torso. Cross the neck with a line to find its width.

Step 2

Outline the neck, creating a diamond shape for the mane.

Step 3

Add more layers to the mane.

Step 4

The spine of the deer reaches higher than the shoulder blade. Sketch the characteristic "hump" made by it.

Step 5

Finish the neck.

Step 6

Outline the whole torso.

Step 7

Add the details.

5. How to Finish Your Realistic Deer Drawing

The sketch deer drawing is finished. You saw how to draw a deer silhouette and how to do a realistic deer sketch. Now it's time to add the final lines. If you're drawing traditionally, it's good to use a darker tool now (for example, an ink liner will nicely cover the pencil strokes), or to place a new sheet of paper on the sketch and draw the final lines on it.

Step 1

Sketch the bulging "eyebrows" of the deer.

Step 2

Draw the eyes with all the details.

Step 3

Draw the nose.

Step 4

Outline the whole head. Not all lines should be outlined continuously—sketch them with short lines to simulate hair.

Step 5

Outline the ears. The darkness inside will make them look fluffy.

Step 6

Outline the antlers and add some texture to them.

Step 7

Outline the mane.

Step 8

Outline the whole body.

Step 9

You can add some details to accentuate the anatomy of the deer.

Step 10

Darken the eyes, nose, and hooves.

Step 11

Finally, you can outline the whole animal with a darker stroke, and shade it in a simple way using hatching.

5 Top Deer Logo Designs From the Placeit Logo Maker

Now you know how to draw a deer silhouette and how to draw a deer step by step. I hope you liked this realistic easy deer drawing tutorial. Next up, we'll review some great deer logo templates from the Placeit logo maker.

Customizing these hunting deer logos is super easy. You just need to create an account on Placeit, select the logo you like the most, and personalize it right in your browser. Then you can purchase your brand-new deer logo or get a subscription for unlimited logo designs.

Here are our five top deer logos:

1. Deer Head Logo for a Craft Beer Brand

Deer heads are a popular choice for beer logos. This logo template features a realistic deer drawing as the center of attention. The strong typography in red pairs really well with this deer head logo. Customize it using the Placeit logo maker.

2. Vintage Deer Logo for a Brewing Company

Looking for more deer logo designs? This one features a whole-body deer and nice typography. While this deer logo is suggested for a brewing company, it could also look great for a clothing brand, for example.

3. Mad Deer Logo for Creepy Gaming Teams

Fan of creepy designs? This deer head logo could be a great option for you and your gaming team. The deer head logo can be fully customized using the Placeit logo maker.

4. Deer Head Logo for Sports Teams

Do you need a new logo design for your sports team? Check out this fierce deer head logo. The template features a deer head with a profile view and a fierce expression. Pair it with your team's name and you're done.

5. Horror Deer Skull Logo Featuring a Rabid Deer

Nothing like a deer skull logo to make a truly scary logo. This one features a rabid deer and strong colors and fonts. If you're looking to make an impression, this deer skull logo is for you.

Start Your Realistic Easy Deer Drawing Today!

Did you like this realistic easy deer drawing tutorial? You may also enjoy other animal-themed tutorials of ours:

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Or you may want to check out other deer-related tutorials and logo design resources:

• 
  Drawing
  
  
  How to Draw Animals: Deer - Species and Anatomy
  
  
  Monika Zagrobelna


• 
  Photo Manipulation
  
  
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Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Maria Villanueva. Maria is the Associate Editor of the Tuts+ Design channel.