How to Draw a Dolphin Jumping Out of Water

1. Begin the dolphin jumping out of the water outline by drawing a curved line. This will become the dolphin's face. Use a series of curved lines to outline the eye and eyelid, and shade a round pupil within.

2. Use a series of overlapping curved lines to draw the top and bottom of the dolphin's beak.

3. Extend the line of the head to outline the back, and the line of the lower jaw to outline the chest. Use a curved line, doubled back on itself with two points, to enclose the pectoral fin.

4. Extend a curved line in front of the fin and double it back on itself to enclose the remaining fin.

From the first fin, extend a long curved line. At the bottom, draw a curved line branching in a "Y" shape. Double it back on itself to form the curved triangular shape of the tail fin.

5. Use curved lines to enclose the remaining side of the tail fin. From the back, extend a curved line and double it back on itself to enclose the dorsal fin.

Use curved lines to contour the blowhole on top of the head and the beginning of the underbelly.

6. Draw a long curved line down the dolphin's side to indicate the underbelly. Then use a series of curved lines to draw the water splashing up behind it.

7. Continue to use curved lines to draw the splashing water.

8. Use wavy lines for the surface of the water and additional curved lines for more splashing water.

9. Use curved lines to texture the surface of the water. Enclose small oval shapes around the splashing water.

Your dolphin jumping out of the water outline is now complete. Color the animal. What type of dolphin should it be?

We've shaded ours grey with a lighter underbelly just like the bottlenose dolphin, one of the most familiar types. Other dolphin species have different colors and patterns.