How to Draw Santa Claus

For this tutorial, it would be advisable to have a large cup of hot chocolate, optional cinnamon, a soft blanket, an elf, and, if possible, a white and red candy cane. Speaking of elves, I don't know if you're aware, but there is an article for learning how to create a drawing of an elf, so check it out!

Today we take a detour into the world of imagination with the star of winter, Santa Claus!

First of all, before I really start this article, I'm going to bother you with a quick preamble.

Firstly, we will not delve into the evolution and origin of the character, Saint Nicholas, the winter solstice celebrations, etc etc... It's not that all this is uninteresting, quite the contrary, but that will just not be our focus.

Secondly, we are going to "study" a magical character and, although it is usually linked to a standard model, it is entirely possible for you to make it your own by adding your own touch and ideas. Of course, if you modify certain elements too much, we might not recognize the "Santa Claus" side of your character. But hey, if that doesn't bother you too much, then it doesn’t really matter! And if you've decided that, overwhelmed by overwork, Santa Claus has decided to retire, handing over the job to Miss Claus, okay, no worries!

If you want to draw Santa Claus with his reindeer and sleigh, you can check out our article on learning to draw a reindeer.

Let's get started...

DRAWING SANTA CLAUS' FACE

So it is commonly accepted in the collective imagination, in the West (and elsewhere), that Santa Claus is an older man (grandfatherly type), often with white skin, sporting a full beard, white hair, and a rotund figure. This will be our starting point.

So first of all, facial hair.

On a basic face, I suggest two beard lengths: option 1 is a 2-week beard, let's say, and option 2 is a much fuller beard (with mustache for a natural look). Honestly, in my opinion, option 1 is really the bare minimum for a proper Santa Claus.

If you choose to go for slightly gray or colored hair, keep the same shade for the beard or choose a slightly lighter shade.

For hairstyles, several options are entirely possible but excessive baldness is rare.

So we're going to go for beard 2. Now, the headgear. Often, very often actually, Santa Claus wears a hat. It must be said that it's chilly where he comes from.

In drawing 1, I suggest a simple hat and here you realize that it gives him the look of a garden gnome. In 2, I just hemmed the edge with fur and added a few centimeters and a pompom at the tip.

Tip: keep the hat simple for the elves.

In figure 1 in blue, I've shown the hair and forehead under the hat. Be careful not to place your hat too high on the hair, it needs to fit securely! At minimum, place it at the top of the forehead (green line), at the hairline (well, if your Santa Claus is a bit bald, you'll adjust).

I admit I like to place the hat lower down, more towards the middle of the forehead...

One last detail, it may be that, despite the magic, and certainly because of his old age, Santa Claus may need to wear glasses. Traditionally, these are simple small round glasses (drawing 1).

After that, as always, nothing prevents you from experimenting with ski goggles or a newer model, but obviously the result will be more unusual (drawing 2) ... ... It loses a little charm, but why not.

SANTA CLAUS' SUIT

So first of all, when you are not too familiar with a character, I would advise you to first draw your subject "nude" and then dress them in a second step. Firstly, because you will more easily spot anatomical posture errors and proportions on the nude character; and secondly, this tip will help you better visualize certain drapes and folds of the fabric (at the joints for example).

Let's quickly draw a Santa Claus.

In 1 our subject is wearing the winter 1972 collection... Uh, sorry, so... He is wearing a very classic suit: a red jacket with fur trim, trousers of the same color, leather gloves and boots, and a wide belt with a golden buckle. We are dealing with a very true red.

In 2, the outfit is less simple. First, he developed a sore throat, so I've given him a scarf (green, in keeping with Christmas colors). He wears a long coat with fur edges, in a shade mixing straw and red. Under the coat, a top in a slightly diluted red, with wooden buttons and a white stripe on the buttonhole. The belt is still there, but the buckle is different. Here, the leather boots are trimmed with fur. The pants are the same as in 1.

I recommend keeping at least one or two pieces with a red bold enough to be paired with a classic suit, and to choose at least one significant piece with fur. You can play around a bit with strands and burgundy, but only to a limited extent.

 

DRAWING SANTA CLAUS STEP BY STEP

We will draw a Santa Claus about to leave, watching the snow fall. He will be slightly leaning forward. You will need to make sure he is not too off balance.

Finally, we are not on a tutorial dedicated to drawing human anatomy, so I will not develop too much on anatomical construction.

Step 1: I align the head with the axis of the face.

Step 2: I draw the neck.

Step 3: I'm developing the shoulders. So we are at ¾.

Step 4: I position the bulk of the torso and draw the torso and the belly.

Step 5: I place the arms. We will make it easier for ourselves and opt for a rogue "hands in pockets", use in moderation!

Steps 6, 7, 8: I position the thighs and knees. I extend the calves. At this stage, we realize that the pose is slightly off balance leaning forward.

Step 9: We end up on our feet!

Now the details and the suit.

Steps 9 & 10: We take our base of the naked character, define the contours a bit better, and draw the face.

Step 11: I add the beard, put on a hat, the top of the boots, the belt and the upper limit of the gloves. At the right of the neck I start the collar of the coat.

Step 12: I draw the coat. In purple, we have the lines that we will not see because they go behind the character, however it is important to maintain the continuity of the fabric.

Step 13: In purple, the edge of the buttonhole.

Step 14: In purple, I don't forget the bottom of the tunic that sticks out.

Steps 15 & 16: I redraw the outlines by placing the folds and the fur (on the hat and coat) and clean up my drawing.

COLORING THE DRAWING

Step A: Be careful, I'm emphasizing the character with a flat color just so it stands out better against the white background of the work area.

Step B: I color the leathers, gloves, boots and belt. It's light, but the brown of these different elements isn't quite the same. I tint the face with a rather light flesh color.

Step C: The off-white beard. The golden belt buckle. The light wooden buttons.

Step D: The fur of the hat, white, and the fur of the coat, slightly cream.

Step E: I choose a slightly diluted red for the cap and tunic. I make the tunic stand out with a very clear white in the middle. For the pants, I choose a deeper red. For the coat, I apply a darker red/brown.

Now I'm adding a gray/blue background, some snowflakes, and shading the character. Note that I've added one or two lines in the fur collar to give it some volume.

So obviously, the more you master human anatomy, the easier it will be for you to draw a Santa Claus. This character easily lends itself to all drawing styles as his "color code" and costume can be easily recognizable. A nice red marker and you can easily make one.

As always, have fun, experiment and do lots of sketches! And don't hesitate to share all that with us!

Illustrator and Writer: Elo Illus