December has begun which means it is officially reindeer season!
So to kick off the month, time to draw Santa's Team!

Dasher: For Dasher's design I got inspiration from another holiday song "Jingle Bells." The lyrics "...dashing through the snow..." gave me the idea to give him white markings as if his legs were dashing through snow. I imagine he is one of the faster members of the team, but since he is younger than the rest of the team (not including Rudolph) he's at the back, learning the ropes from Dancer.

Dancer: Dancer was imagined as a graceful and powerful reindeer. His movements while pulling Santa's sleigh have inspired many decorations we see today. His design was inspired by parts of the nutcracker's costume from the Nutcracker Ballet. His high legs are dark like the boots, he has a similar mustache design as seen in many nutcrackers, and lighter shoulders are reminiscent of shoulder tassels. I picture him as an experienced flyer but often plays to the dramatics in most things he does (especially flirting). Despite his seemingly light footed grace, Dancer is incredibly strong, making him well suited for pulling up the rear.

Prancer: Prancer's design was thought of with Dancer. I almost ended up making the two twins, but decided against it as I finalized marks and coloring. Prancer, who is equally as graceful and powerful as Dancer, was inspired but the costume designs of the Sugarplum Fairy in the Nutcracker ballet. She has a light hind legs because of the ballet dress, wing like markings on her back like fairy wings, and make-up like facial markings that many ballet dancers have. I picture her and Dancer are close friends (maybe more) but Prancer tends to be more level headed than Dancer, putting her ahead of him on the team.

Vixen: Ended up going with fox like markings that I imagined would have inspired her name. I picture her as having a quiet, yet observant personality. She watches her team mates behaviors and will speak up when she feels something needs to be said. This tends to give her words meaning, so the team listens when she speaks. Due to her excellent observation skills on the team, Vixen was placed in the middle where she can keep an eye on her team and the sleigh.

Comet: Comet was designed with the idea of a comet in mind. He has a light streak along his sides making him look like a comet when he flies. I picture him as a head strong but eager to please type of reindeer. He can be stubborn to a fault which can help or hurt the team based on the situation. His stubborn personality puts him at the middle of the team, but few reindeer are as determined as Comet when trouble strikes.

Cupid: Cupid's design I knew the second I read his name. Heart shaped marking on his nose and wing like markings on his back. I picture Cupid as a definite romantic. He probably watches those Hallmark romance movies more times than anyone can count. In fact there's a rumor going around that his favorite holiday is Valentines day and not Christmas. Cupid is a soft spoken guy always on the look out for love. He can spot a crush a mile a way, and will always offer to help. He knows when he needs to step back though, and just let things develop on their own. His gentle personality helps balance out Comet's head strong, while Comet's determination inspires Cupid to work harder, making them perfect partners on the team.

Donner: Donner is the second in command of the team, and the definition of intimidating. He is big, strong, and unfortunately has resting-scowl-face. When Donner is pulling Santa's sleigh he is a force to be reckoned with, taking no nonsense from anyone on the team, but the rest of the year Donner is a big softy. He gushes over cute things, loves sweets, and is always ready to lend a hoof around the north pole. He is Blitzen's right hoof leading the team, and her loving mate as well. Donner's design was inspired by the fact his name means thunder in Dutch. I gave him kind of a grumpy cloud type of markings, and soft curly fur.

Blitzen: The best and most experienced flyer in the entire north pole. Blitzen is the fierce leader of Santa's sleigh and leads each Christmas eve with confidence, strength, and grace. She inspires every member on the team to be better to aim for their best. The team respects her leadership and she has never let them down. Even during the off season, Blitzen can be found practicing her flying more than any other reindeer, and even teaching some of the younger members of the herd how to fly. She leads team practice year round, never letting any member slack off, herself included. Blitzen is an all around work-a-holic when it comes to her flying, but thankfully Donner is there to pull her away to relax once in a while. Blitzen means lightning so naturally I gave her some lightning like markings on her fur.

Rudolph: The youngest member of the team, and with a huge responsibility leading the team through dangerous weather. He is kept close to Donner and Blitzen so the responsibility is not solely on him. Rudolph is the newest flier on the team and struggles with confidence issues due to years of being bullied by other reindeer. Despite his rather shy personality, when he flies through the worst blizzards he becomes an entirely different reindeer. Flying through a white out blizzard and his confidence shines brighter than his nose. He's still getting use to all the positive attention of the herd, but is slowly beginning to come out of his shell. No one is sure what sort of magic Rudolph has that resulted in his nose glowing the way it dose, but they have all learned to appreciate his gift (and not to bully a reindeer for having a glowing nose like that's the weirdest thing at the north pole!)