20 Cute Santa Faces to Paint for Christmas

There’s something about Santa’s cheerful face that can put a smile on someone else’s. The rosy cheeks, the fluffy beard, that little twinkle in his eyes… even a simple painting can capture some of that happiness.

And you don’t have to paint a portrait worthy of hanging over the North Pole fireplace. A round nose, a red hat, and a few well-placed brushstrokes can give you a Santa with plenty of personality.

These Santa faces to paint give you a mix of cute, playful, vintage, and more lifelike ideas. Pick a style that feels doable, change the colors if you like, and give your Santa an expression of his own.

A Few Tips Before You Start

Lightly sketch the hat, face, nose, and beard before adding paint. Think in big shapes first: an oval face, a rounded triangle for the hat, and a broad beard shape. You can add the smaller features once those are in place.

For acrylic paintings, a little pale gray or cream beneath the white helps the beard show up without painting every hair. With watercolor, leave some of the paper white and use a few light shadows to suggest the beard. And try your eye and mouth shapes on scrap paper first. Tiny changes can make Santa look cheerful, sleepy, or downright surprised!

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Santa Face Painting Ideas

1. Simple Rosy-Cheeked Santa

Start with an oval face, two little dark eyes, and a round pink nose. A red hat and a white beard do most of the work here, so you can keep the rest wonderfully simple.

Add pink circles to his cheeks and a small curved smile beneath the mustache. This is a good starting point for a small canvas or handmade Christmas card because the expression stays clear with very few details.

2. Santa with a Big Laugh

Give Santa the kind of laugh that makes his eyes nearly disappear. Two curved lines for closed eyes, lifted cheeks, and a small open mouth can make him look positively delighted.

Keep the mouth tucked between the mustache and beard so it doesn’t take over his face. A rounded dark shape with a little pink at the bottom is plenty. No need to paint a whole set of teeth!

3. Vintage Santa Face

For an old-fashioned Santa, try a muted red hat, a warm peach face, and a creamy white beard. A few soft brown or gray shadows can give him that gentle Christmas-card look.

Keep his expression kind, with small eyes and a slight smile. You can suggest age with just a couple of short lines beside the eyes; you don’t need to map out every wrinkle to give him character.

4. Winking Santa

One open eye and one little curved wink give this Santa a playful expression. Add a slightly raised eyebrow over the open eye and let the mustache curl upward near his smile.

Sketch both eyes lightly before painting, even though one will be closed. That helps keep them at roughly the same height and avoids an accidentally lopsided face.

5. Soft Watercolor Santa

Use light washes of red and peach for a Santa that feels soft and loose. Leave most of the beard white, then add a few pale blue-gray strokes beneath the mustache and along one side.

Let the paint dry before adding the little eyes and smile so those features stay clear. A slightly uneven wash is part of the appeal here. Your Santa doesn’t need perfectly tidy edges.

6. Santa with Round Glasses

Little round spectacles give Santa a sweet, thoughtful look. Paint the face first, then add two simple circles connected by a short bridge just above his nose.

You can use a fine brush or a paint pen suited to your surface once the paint is dry. Keep the eyes inside the lenses small and skip reflections if they make the design feel too fussy.

7. Santa with a Curly Mustache

Let the mustache be the star of this painting. Make two plump white shapes beneath the nose, then curl their ends upward like little hooks.

Keep the eyes and beard simple so those curls stand out. A faint gray shadow underneath the mustache helps separate it from the beard, especially when both are painted white.

8. Santa Peeking Over His Beard

Make the beard extra large and leave only a small area for Santa’s eyes, cheeks, and nose. It’s a fun option if you’d rather paint a big fluffy shape than fuss over a mouth.

Use a scalloped outline or a few broad curved strokes for the beard. Bring the hat down low on his forehead, then add two tiny eyes above a round rosy nose. Mostly beard. Still unmistakably Santa.

9. Santa in Profile

A side view gives you a different way to paint Santa’s face. Start with the forehead and nose as one simple outline, then curve inward beneath the nose before letting the beard sweep down.

You only need one eye and one cheek, which keeps the details manageable. Try the silhouette on scrap paper first; the shape of the nose and beard will do more for this painting than lots of shading.

10. Santa with a Pink Hat

Swap the red hat for pink and keep the familiar white trim, beard, and cheerful face. A dusty pink gives him a softer look, while a brighter pink makes the painting feel more playful.

Use a slightly different pink or peach for the nose and cheeks so they don’t blend into the hat. A plain pale background lets the color change stand out without adding extra things to paint.

11. Folk Art Santa

Try a tall hat, a small face, and a long tapered beard for a folk art version of Santa. Simple eyes and a round nose work well with these bold shapes.

Paint the large areas first, then add a few curved lines in the beard or small dots along the hat. You can keep him fairly flat instead of blending shadows, making this a satisfying option for practicing brush control.

12. Santa Looking Up

Give Santa an upward glance by placing the pupils toward the tops of his eyes and lifting his eyebrows a little. Keep his head mostly facing forward to make the idea easier to paint.

A small smile keeps the expression cheerful rather than startled. Sketch the eyes a little larger than usual so you have room to show where he’s looking without needing tiny, precise brushwork.

13. Santa with a Snowy Hat

Paint a classic Santa face, then add a few white dabs across the red hat to suggest fresh snow. Keep the snow marks irregular, with some small dots and a couple of larger patches.

His warm pink cheeks will look especially cheerful beside a pale blue background. Let the hat dry before adding the white so the snow stays bright instead of turning pink.

14. Realistic Santa Portrait

For a more lifelike Santa, use an oval face and place the features with a light sketch before painting. Add a soft shadow beside the nose, beneath the hat brim, and just under the mustache to give the face more depth.

Keep the beard in broad sections rather than painting individual hairs. Two or three shades for the skin and a few gentle smile lines can give you a portrait feel while keeping the painting approachable. Save the tiny highlights for last.

15. Sleepy Santa

Paint Santa with gently closed eyes, relaxed eyebrows, and a small contented smile. He can look as though he’s enjoying a quiet moment after a very busy Christmas Eve.

Use soft curves for the features and let his floppy hat lean to one side. A closed mouth keeps this version easy; two curved eyelids and rosy cheeks carry most of the expression.

16. Santa with a Tilted Hat

Give Santa’s hat a jaunty tilt while keeping his face upright. Draw the brim on a slight diagonal and let the tip of the hat flop toward one side.

Keep the eyes level so the hat provides the movement. A round pom-pom and a little smile finish the design without needing a complicated pose.

17. Cartoon Santa with a Big Nose

A big round nose, small dot eyes, and a chunky mustache make a funny little Santa face. Exaggerate the shapes and keep the colors in simple blocks for a design that’s easy to follow.

If you like bold outlines, add them after the paint has dried. You can also leave the outlines out and let the contrasting colors separate the shapes. Either way, keep that oversized nose front and center.

18. Santa with Holly on His Hat

Add two or three holly leaves and a small cluster of red berries near the hat brim. The face itself can stay simple, with rosy cheeks, small eyes, and a friendly smile.

Think of each leaf as a pointed oval with just a few notches along its edges. Place the berries against the white trim so they remain visible beside the red hat, and skip the tiny leaf veins if you want to keep things easy.

19. Santa Blowing a Kiss

Give Santa softly closed eyes and tiny puckered lips peeking out beneath his mustache. A small pink oval with a short dark mark in the middle can suggest the kiss without making the mouth complicated.

Leave a little gap between the mustache shapes so there’s room for the lips. A rounded beard and warm cheeks keep the face sweet, with all the personality coming from those few simple features.

20. Santa with a Short Beard

Try a compact, rounded beard that hugs Santa’s chin instead of flowing down his chest. It leaves more room for the face and works nicely when you want a smaller painting with a clear expression.

Use a cream or pale gray base, then add a few white strokes around the edges. Keep the mustache broad and the smile small so you still get that familiar Santa look with a different beard shape.

Give Your Santa a Little Personality

Before committing to a whole painting, try three tiny Santa faces on scrap paper: one smiling, one laughing, and one winking. Keep the nose and beard the same, then change just the eyes and mouth. It’s a quick way to see how much expression you can create with a few little marks.

Then choose the one that makes you smile. That’s a pretty good place to start.