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Trending: #1 Halloween costume of 2026

Buddy the Unicorn drawing, from sketch to video

A Buddy the Unicorn drawing is the fan art of the year: the bright orange unicorn host from the 2026 horror comedy Buddy topped Google’s Halloween costume list. Draw your own version with the six steps below, then upload it and SpeedPainter turns it into a video of the drawing being sketched and colored by hand.

  • PNG or JPG up to 10 MB
  • 10 free credits on sign-up
  • 1 credit = 1 second of video

How to draw Buddy the Unicorn in 6 steps

These steps build a cheerful orange unicorn host in your own style. Keep the shapes round and the smile a little too wide.

  1. 01

    Start with a pear-shaped head

    Draw a big rounded head that is wider at the cheeks, with a soft muzzle oval in the lower half. A slightly oversized head reads as a costume character.

  2. 02

    Place eyes high and wide

    Two large round eyes in the upper half, spaced apart, each with a small highlight. Big, unblinking eyes are what make the cheerful face feel off.

  3. 03

    Add the wide smile

    Draw a long curved mouth across the muzzle that reaches toward the cheeks. Keep it friendly; the unease comes from how wide it is.

  4. 04

    Ears, horn and mane

    Two upright ears, a short cone horn between them, and a puffy mane falling to one side in rounded locks.

  5. 05

    Body and pose

    A rounded plush body, short arms, one raised in a wave. Hooves are simple rounded ends. A bow tie or a vest makes it look like a TV host.

  6. 06

    Ink and color

    Go over the lines with a dark pen, then color the body bright orange, the horn yellow and the mane in pastel stripes. Leave a white background so the video traces cleanly.

3 Buddy the Unicorn drawing ideas with the prompt and the video

Original orange unicorn mascots inspired by the trend, not frames or posters from the film. Every clip was rendered by SpeedPainter from the picture shown, with the settings on the card.

Pencil: sketch time. Palette: color time. Coin: credits used. Every example fits the 10 free sign-up credits.

TV Host Unicorn

Full body, one hoof waving, rainbow mane and tail. The classic pose for a fan poster or a story post.

0:050:05Light tone10
Prompt

An original orange plush unicorn mascot styled like a 1990s children's TV show host: big round black eyes, a cheerful but slightly unsettling wide smile, a pastel rainbow mane and tail, a short yellow horn, waving one hoof. Cartoon illustration with clean dark outlines and flat warm colors. Plain white background, full body, centered. Not based on any existing film, show or brand character. Avoid text, logos, watermarks, blood and gore.

Original orange plush unicorn mascot waving, with a rainbow mane and yellow hornDownload picture

Easy Unicorn Head

Head and bow tie only, with thick outlines. The easiest version to copy by hand, and quick to animate.

0:060:04Child hand10
Prompt

Head and shoulders of an original orange plush unicorn mascot, front view: big round eyes, a wide stitched smile, a pastel rainbow mane, a short yellow horn and a small bow tie. Simple bold cartoon illustration with thick clean outlines, flat colors and big shapes, easy to copy by hand. Plain white background. Not based on any existing film or brand character. Avoid text, logos and watermarks.

Simple orange unicorn head with big eyes, a wide smile and a blue bow tieDownload picture

Trick-or-Treat Unicorn

A kid in a homemade orange unicorn onesie on a porch. A cute take for costume reveal posts.

0:050:05No hand10
Prompt

A child seen from the side in a homemade orange unicorn onesie costume with a felt yellow horn, a pastel rainbow yarn mane and a tail, holding a pumpkin candy bucket on a porch at dusk. Storybook illustration with clean dark outlines and flat colors, face simple and cartoon-like. White background around the figure. Not based on any existing film character. Avoid text, logos, watermarks and realistic faces.

Child in a homemade orange unicorn onesie holding a pumpkin candy bucket on a porchDownload picture

Examples were rendered without branding. Videos made on the free plan carry a SpeedPainter watermark and end card.

How to turn a Buddy the Unicorn drawing into a video

  1. 01

    Photograph or scan your drawing

    Straight on, evenly lit, cropped to the paper. PNG or JPG up to 10 MB. Digital art works too.

  2. 02

    Pick timing and a hand

    5 seconds of sketch and 5 of color fits the 10 free sign-up credits. Add a drawing hand for a speed-paint look.

  3. 03

    Choose 9:16 and download

    Vertical works for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Download the MP4 and post it with your costume photos.

Buddy the Unicorn drawing video: formats, limits and cost

Values from the live product settings, October 2026.
InputOne PNG or JPG per video, up to 10 MB
OutputMP4 in 10 aspect ratios (16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:5 and more), 720p up to 4K (21:9 up to 2K)
TimingA sketch phase and a color phase, up to 5 minutes each. Color at 0 keeps the video line-only
Hand and canvasNo hand, or one of 4 hands (three skin tones and a child’s hand). The picture’s own background, a black board or a green board
Cost1 credit per second of video. 10 free credits when you sign up
Free planHD output with a SpeedPainter watermark and end card
Paid plansMonthly plans from $19.90, or one-time credit packs from $29.90. Up to 4K, no watermark
What it does not doIt does not make pictures from text, and it draws the lines in the order its tracer finds them, not in a teacher’s step order

Why Buddy the Unicorn is everywhere this Halloween

  1. 01

    The film

    Buddy is a horror comedy by Casper Kelly, set inside a fictional 1999 children’s TV show whose host is a bright orange unicorn. It premiered at Sundance in January 2026 and opened in US theaters on August 28, 2026.

  2. 02

    The costume chart

    Google’s 2026 Halloween costume list put Buddy the Unicorn at #1. US searches for “buddy the unicorn costume” went from zero in July to about 22,000 in September.

  3. 03

    The art trend

    Searches for “buddy the unicorn drawing” rose from nothing to about 2,400 in September, as people share fan art next to their costumes.

Buddy the Unicorn costume, drawing and more

Making the costume, or looking for the full ranking?

What it costs to animate your Buddy the Unicorn drawing

Starter

Starter

Weekly speed-paint videos for yourself or small projects

$16.58/month

Billed annually · $199/yr (save $40)

  • 700 credits per month (~116 videos at 6s each)
  • All effects included
  • Personal + social media use
  • Email support
  • 2 months free
Get Starter

Cancel anytime. No hidden fees.

Plus

Plus

Regular publishing and higher-volume creation

$33.25/month

Billed annually · $399/yr (save $80)

  • 2000 credits per month (~333 videos at 6s each)
  • All effects included
  • Priority processing
  • More monthly credits
  • Priority support
  • 2 months free
Get Plus

Cancel anytime. No hidden fees.

Best ValueUltra

Ultra

High-volume production and the best credit value

$49.92/month

Billed annually · $599/yr (save $120)

  • 4000 credits per month (~666 videos at 6s each)
  • All effects included
  • Priority processing
  • Maximum monthly credits
  • Priority support
  • 2 months free
Get Ultra

Cancel anytime. No hidden fees.

Buddy the Unicorn drawing: common questions

Who is Buddy the Unicorn?

Buddy is the bright orange unicorn who hosts a fictional children’s TV show in the 2026 horror comedy Buddy, directed by Casper Kelly. The film opened in US theaters on August 28, 2026.

How do I draw Buddy the Unicorn easily?

Start with the head: a big rounded shape, two large high eyes and a wide smile. Add ears, a short horn and a puffy mane, then the plush body. The six steps above walk through it.

Are the pictures on this page from the movie?

No. They are original orange unicorn mascots made for this page and inspired by the trend. We don’t use stills, posters or logos from the film.

Can SpeedPainter draw Buddy for me?

No. SpeedPainter animates a picture you upload; it does not create pictures from text. Upload your own drawing or fan art and it becomes a drawing video.

Will the video have a watermark?

Videos made on the free plan carry a SpeedPainter watermark and end card. Paid plans export without a watermark, up to 4K.

More Halloween drawing pages

Drew your Buddy the Unicorn? Watch it draw itself