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Seashells are the exoskeleton, or hard protective covering, of marine animals like snails and mollusks. Crabs also use the discarded shells of other animals in this way. Shells come in many shapes and colors.
Many people collect seashells. This hobby is called shelling. Shells make a great beach vacation souvenir because they are fun to find, come in an endless variety, and are free of charge! Some use the shells in arts and crafts projects, making items such as picture frames or jewelry.
If you plan to go shelling, remember these helpful tips. The best time to search for shells is around low tide. At this time, the water is more shallow, revealing shells previously hidden beneath the waves. It is also helpful to search just after a storm when heavy waves have washed shells closer to shore.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
Never take home a seashell that still has an animal living in it. Not only would doing so kill the animal, but it is illegal to do so in many places, such as Florida! You can clean any shells you do take home be soaking them briefly in bleach water. This will prevent the shells from becoming smelly.
The type of shell in our drawing guide was made by a creature called a scallop.
Scallops are considered bivalves, meaning their shells have left and right portions that are connected by a hinge. The scallop shape has often been used in art and popular culture, from ancient architecture elements to the Shell gas station logo.
Would you like to draw a cartoon seashell? You can start your own shell collection today! This easy, step-by-step cartoon drawing tutorial is here to show you how. All you will need is a pencil, an eraser, and a sheet of paper.
If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Stingray, Oyster with a Pearl, and Cute Narwhal.
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You don’t need any special art supplies to draw this tutorial but you can support Easy Drawing Guides by purchasing through the following Amazon links:
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- Sharpie marker to draw clean, black lines.
- Good, cheap paper to draw on or a sketch pad to take with you on your travels.
- Bright, easy to blend colored pencils or cheaper oil pastels.
- Pencil set to practice drawing and shading together with a vinyl or kneaded eraser, and a sharpener. If you draw a lot with pencils, you could even get yourself an electric sharpener.
- Faber-Castell’s Amazon store has all the above, plus great art sets for kids.
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Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Seashell
1. Begin by drawing a straight diagonal line. This guide line will help you to draw the shape of the shell.
2. Draw a straight line extending from the original line at an acute angle. Then, connect the two lines using a curved line.
3. Draw a straight line extending from the original line at the same point as the previous line. Connect the lines using a curved line. This line should meet the original line at the same point as the previous curved line.
4. Erase the original guide line, leaving a clean outline of the shell.
OTHER EASY DRAWING GUIDES:
5. Draw a "C" shaped curved line on each side of the pointed base of the shell. Then, draw straight lines emanating from the base of the shell. Connect the lines at the top using short, curved lines, erasing previous lines as necessary.
6. Draw additional straight lines from the base to the top of the shell. Connect them using curved lines at the top, erasing the outline as necessary.
7. Draw additional straight lines from the base to the top of the shell. Connect them using curved lines at the top, erasing the outline as necessary.
8. Complete the scalloped texture of the shell by drawing straight lines from the base to the edge. Erase the top outline, replacing it with scalloped segments of curved lines.
OTHER EASY DRAWING GUIDES:
9. Draw a pair of wavy lines across the middle of the shell.
Color your seashell. Shells can be found in many colors, including white, cream, yellow, orange, red, pink, brown, and even black.
Then, check out our other oceanic cartoon drawing guides.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
The Complete Seashell Drawing Tutorial in One Image
