How to Draw a Dolphin in Cartoon Style

Let’s draw a dolphin. Dolphins and other sea creatures are easy to draw as they don’t have arms or legs, and don’t have expressions that we could read.

You don’t need to be an artist to draw a great looking dolphin. Just do it step by step.

The key is to use very light pencil touches when sketching the shapes. You will later use stronger lines to complete and touch-up the drawing.

To keep the process easy, we will sketch simple shapes first. Later, we will connect those shapes and a great looking dolphin will take shape.

​The challenge is to get the proportions right and that will become easier with practice.

And remember, it’s a cartoon dolphin. It doesn’t need to be realistic. If your first cartoon dolphin drawing doesn’t satisfy you, do it again. I bet the next one is going to be even better and come together much faster.

In the following drawing stages, I’ve highlighted each step with lines of blue color.

You don’t need any special pens or tools. A regular pencil, eraser, and paper are all you need. If you want, you can also color the drawing with colored pencils or pens.​

If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Whale, Narwhal, and Fish.

Watch 'How to Draw a Dolphin' Video Tutorial

Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Dolphin

Draw an oval. This will be the upper-body of the dolphin.

Next, draw a slightly curving triangular shape that will make up the rest of the body.

Draw the tail fins like two leaves. The eye is a circle with a shaded half-moon inside. You can now erase the line between the upper and lower body.

Now, add the nose. The upper jaw is bigger than the lower jaw. You can erase the lines between the body and tail.

Draw the dorsal (upper) fin.

Draw the pectoral (lower) fin.

Erase the lines between the body, fins, and nose. Adjust the shape of the nose. The upper jaw is more curved than the bottom.

Draw a line to separate the lighter colored belly from the darker back.

Color your dolphin drawing.