How To Draw A Dolphin Easy:
Turn drawing a dolphin into a breeze with this simply awesome tutorial! Who knew that sketching one of these majestic creatures could be so effortless?! This easy-to-follow guide will take you from start to finish in no time at all. All you need is a few tools, a bit of focus, and you’ll be able to recreate the look of this beloved marine mammal before you know it.
The first step is to begin with a pencil and a blank canvas. Start sketching the body of the dolphin by creating an oval that will serve as the head and a long curved line for the body. After you’ve done that, draw two little arcs facing each other at the top of the oval in order to make its fin. This step might take a couple of tries, but with a stroke of focus and determination you’ll get it right in no time.
Once you’ve got the body and tail of the dolphin finished, it’s time to start working on the fins. Flippers are next so begin by sketching two arcs on each side of the body. To make sure they won’t be too long or too short, draw them so they roughly match the size of the head. Whilst it’s okay to make some mistakes at this point, as your skills develop you’ll want to try and make each line as perfect as possible.
The fun part of making a dolphin is creating the facial features. Make two big dots for the eyes, a long curved line for the mouth, and two tiny arcs for the nostrils. By now, you should already have the classic dolphin shape in front of you before even adding any of the details. You can completely customize your creation by adding stripes, spots or even a saddle.
Once you have all the basic pieces together, it’s time to refine the image. Start by going over all the pencil lines with a black marker to make the outline of the dolphin more visible. Next, pick the color that you want to add to your creation, and start coloring. If you want to create an extra realistic look, you can use a watercolor pencil or marker instead. Find out what works best for you, and don’t forget to have some fun with it too.
You’ve done it! You’ve successfully created a magnificent and detailed dolphin all by yourself. All that’s left to do is to show off your precious artwork to the whole world. Now you can proudly proclaim that drawing dolphins was never a hard task for you. Congratulations!
Creating The Perfect Fin
The very first thing to do when you start drawing a dolphin is to sketch the fin. This feature is the absolute key to making your dolphin look life-like. You can achieve different looks just by tweaking the shape, size, or proportions of the fin. For an action dolphin, consider making the fin bigger and curved towards one side. For a docile dolphin, make the fin smaller and more curved. It’s important to also make sure that the fin looks balanced with the rest of the body, and that you don’t forget to blend it in with the rest of the sketch.
Once you’ve settled on a desired outcome, it’s time to start shaping the fin. Now, take a look at a real image of a dolphin, and start simplifying its fin. Simplify it to the point where you’re just left with the basic outline. Once you do that, it’s time to start shading! Start by sketching in some darker strokes in the direction of where the water flow might be. Alternately, sketch some thicker lines over the curved shape of the fin. This will create the look of texture in order for it to appear as if it’s actually aquatic.
Now, it’s time to bring the fin to life. Succumb yourself to the creative process, and focus on creating a realistic look on the fin. Begin by adding some highlighted strokes to certain areas. Bring forth some light to make everything look even more vivid. Feel free to express yourself with color and make the fin look as vibrant and beautiful as wanted. Rely on shades of blue, turquoise, and green to fill in the gaps and make the fin look three-dimensional.
Once you have the fin finished, you can continue with the shading of the body. Do the same thing as with the fin, but this time use thicker strokes down the body of the dolphin. Also, feel free to add some even lighter shadings, as well as dots, circles, or curved lines in order to bring out even more texture. Keep practicing and you’ll soon have a fantastic looking fin.
Making It Look Realistic
To make your dolphin drawing look picture perfect, you should try to give it as much texture as possible. Think back to making the fin, and apply the same technique to the body of the dolphin. Start by sketching thick strokes over the whole silhouette of the dolphin – make sure you don’t draw these too long, as it won’t look realistic. Then, start adding some darker strokes to the whole picture. Follow the natural curves of the body in order to bring out its shape. Finally, you can use different shades of blue to shade around the edges of the body
To add some extra realism, consider adding some reflections of light. Try to place some curved lines along the body, or use a lighter shade of blue in order to make the water look like it’s reflecting off the dolphin’s body. You can also add some dotted lines or curved strokes along the body of the dolphin, in order to make it look as though it’s swimming in the waves.
Once you have the shading and reflections done, try to make the eyes look realistic. Place in two black dots, but don’t forget to draw a line slightly above the eyes – as if it were looking up towards the sky. If you’ve settled on making the eyes look dramatic, use a darker shade of blue and add a few extra strokes in the middle. This will give it an even more vivid and intense look.
Begin The Added Detail
Now that you have the basic sketch of your dolphin finished, it’s time to start adding some extra details. Try to give your dolphin a bit of personality by adding some striped, spot or/and saddle patterns. Start by sketching the body parts that have this pattern along it – feel free to take some inspiration from real-life dolphins. Depending on the type of pattern you decide on, make sure to make it look as realistic as possible.
You can also start exaggerating some of the features. For instance, try to make the fins or the tail look especially big. Think about the type of look you’re going for and tailor it to your desired outcome. Maybe you want to make it look like your dolphin is jumping out of the ocean, or maybe you want to keep a more simple look. Whichever you choose, make sure to give it as much texture and detail as possible.
Lastly, it’s time to pick the colors. The key here is to give your dolphin a realistic look. Go for some muted tones, like blues, greys, and greens. Don’t forget to bring in some of the colors of the ocean – like a mixture of white and a teal blue – to make the whole picture look more natural. Feel free to use different colors to give your dolphin some extra life, whether you want to make it look bold, or subdued.
Bringing Everything Together
The absolute last part of drawing your dolphin is to make everything come together. Start by making some last minute tweaks to the body – add some more lines or strokes, try to make the face even more expressive, and make sure that everything looks perfectly balanced. Don’t forget to go back over the tails and fins, and make sure that those look closer to realistic.
The final step is to make sure that the colors are blended in well. Use a wet brush to blend different colors together, or use a brush pen to soften up the colors in some micro-areas. Blending the colors together can be a bit tricky, but with a bit of practice and dedication you’ll become a pro in no time!
Now, take a step back to observe the masterpiece you have created. Drawing a realistic looking dolphin was never so easy! You have succeeded in creating a beautiful and detailed illustration of a beloved marine mammal. Show off your artwork to the world, and be proud of yourself for having achieved such an accomplishment.
