How To Draw A Whale Step By Step

3 min readJun 25, 2024

Drawing a whale can be a delightful and rewarding project, allowing you to capture the essence of these magnificent sea creatures on paper. Follow this step-by-step guide to create your own whale illustration:

Step 1: Outline the Body

Start by drawing a large horizontal oval or a bean-like shape. This will form the main body of the whale. The shape should be wider towards the middle and taper off at the ends, mimicking the whale’s robust middle and narrow tail section.

Step 2: Sketch the Tail

At one narrow end of your oval, draw the whale’s tail (flukes). You can achieve this by drawing a “W” shape that’s rounded and not too sharp. Ensure that the tail proportionately aligns with the body size.

Step 3: Add the Fin and Head

On the top side of the oval, draw a fin near the middle of the body using a curved triangle shape.
For the head, use the front end of the oval. Depending on the species, you might want to adjust the front part to be slightly pointed or rounded.

Step 4: Detail the Face

Whales have their eyes located quite far back on their heads, near where the body starts to widen. Sketch a small circle or oval for an eye.

Add a small curve above the eye for the eyebrow area to give the face more expression.

Draw the whale’s mouth as a simple curve starting from the tip of the head, making sure it’s slightly turned up to give a gentle appearance.

Step 5: Draw the Whale’s Belly

Add a line along the underside of the whale from the head all the way to the tail. This line gives your drawing depth and marks the whale’s belly, which is often lighter than the rest of its body.

Step 6: Sketch the Pectoral Fins

On either side of the whale’s body, towards the head, draw the pectoral fins. They are similar in shape to the dorsal fin but often larger and more flipper-like.

Step 7: Add Texture and Details

For species like the humpback, you might add bumps to the head and jawline.

You can also draw short, thin lines along the fins and tail to represent veins, adding realism.

Step 8: Finalize with Shading and Coloring

Erase any unnecessary guidelines.

Add shading under the whale and along the sides to give the illustration depth. Consider where the light source is coming from to get the shading right.

If you choose to color your drawing, select shades of blue and grey for a realistic look, or get creative with your own color choices.

Tips and Tricks:

Studying pictures of whales can be incredibly helpful for understanding their anatomy and patterns.

Start with light pencil strokes as you sketch your initial shapes and lines, so you can easily make corrections.

Be patient with yourself. It might take a few tries to get your drawing just right.

Enjoy the process of bringing your whale to life on paper, capturing both the grace and majesty of these gentle giants of the sea!