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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.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
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.
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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:
- 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.
Disclosure: Some of the above links are affiliate links, and I receive a small commission at no cost to you if you choose to make a purchase using them.
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.
OTHER EASY DRAWING GUIDES:
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.
OTHER EASY DRAWING GUIDES:
Printable PDF of the Drawing Guide
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this was absolutely amazing and helpful
Thanks! Happy you liked it. 🙂
your cool
this is the best step by step drawing ever
Dolphins are so fun to draw. 🙂