How to draw a unicorn
A unicorn is a pony with two upgrades: a horn and a mane worth showing off. Build the pony out of simple shapes first, then add the magic on top.
- 8 steps
- 10 minutes
- 4-10 Ages
- Easy
How do you draw a unicorn?
Sketch two overlapping circles, a small one for the head and a big one for the body. Outline the head, then add a tall triangle horn, two ears, two oval eyes and a muzzle. Draw the long body curves, the swooping mane and forelock, the tail, and four rectangle legs with a curved hoof at the bottom of each. Eight steps.
Watch it drawn, line by line
The whole drawing in under half a minute, in the same order as the steps below. No sound, so play it anywhere.
Draw it step by step
The new lines for each step are drawn in red. The grey dashed shapes are guides, sketch them lightly and rub them out at the end.
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1 Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch two overlapping circles, a small one for the head and a big one for the body.
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2 Step 2: Head outline
Draw two curved lines for the sides of the head, plus a tiny curved dash at the bottom overlap.
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3 Step 3: Face and horn
Add a tall triangle for the horn, two ear shapes, two oval eyes, and an oval muzzle with two small circles and a tiny smile.
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4 Step 4: Body outline
Draw two long curved lines for the front and back of the body, and two short curves to place the tail.
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5 Step 5: Mane and forelock
Draw a curved swoop for the forelock across the head, finish the left ear tip, and add the hanging mane with two small U shapes at the end.
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6 Step 6: Tail start
Make a big curved line for the top and outer edge of the tail, and a short straight line with a tiny dot for the back leg guide.
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7 Step 7: Front legs
Draw two tall rectangles for the front legs, and add a curved line at each bottom for the hooves.
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8 Step 8: Back and hind legs
Add a curved line to close the belly and rump, two back-leg rectangles with curved hoof lines, and a small curve for the tail tip.
What do you need to draw a unicorn?
A pencil, paper and an eraser. Leave a little extra room above the head: the horn needs somewhere to point, and a squashed horn is a sad horn.
Where do you start?
With the two grey guide circles, sketched lightly and overlapping. The small one is the head, the big one is the body, and everything else hangs off those two. Keep the guides faint: the mane will cover several of them later anyway.
What is the hardest part of drawing a unicorn?
The horn, in step 3. It is a tall, narrow triangle that sits ON the forehead, growing from the head between the ears, not floating above it. Plant its base right on the head outline and lean it slightly forward, as if it is pointing where the unicorn is looking.
Second thing: the mane does the character work. In step 5 it is drawn as a swoop across the head and a hanging fall down ONE side of the neck. Neat, even zigzags read as a haircut; big lazy curves read as magic.
How do you make it your own?
- Colour the mane in rainbow bands. One colour per curve is all it takes.
- Add stars. Three or four small stars floating around the horn.
- Make it fly. Two simple wings on the back turn it into an alicorn.
- Change the pose. Tilt the head circle before you start and the whole unicorn looks curious.
What else is worth knowing about unicorns?
Unicorns have been drawn for more than two thousand years, and the horn is the one part every artist agrees on. In old European stories the horn could purify water, which is why unicorns are usually drawn near streams. The spiral pattern people often add to the horn comes from a real animal: the narwhal, a small Arctic whale whose single spiral tusk was sold as unicorn horn for centuries. So when you draw that tall triangle, you are drawing a legend with a very real tooth behind it.
Questions people ask about drawing a unicorn
Is this easy enough for a 6 year old?
Yes. It is eight steps and rated easy. It is essentially the horse tutorial with a horn and a bigger mane, so if a child has done the horse, this one goes quickly.
How long does it take?
About ten minutes. The mane in step 5 is the step to slow down for, because it is the part that carries the personality.
Should the horn have a spiral on it?
The tutorial draws a plain triangle, which is easier and looks clean. If you want the spiral, add three or four short curved lines across the horn at the end, all leaning the same way.
