How to Draw a Dolphin - Easy Cartoon Dolphin for Kids

Steps

1. 1. Draw the Dolphin's Big Cartoon Eye

   Start a little above the middle of your paper and draw a circle for the eye. Make it fairly big, since this is a cartoon dolphin.

   Tip: Color around the highlights slowly. If you cover one, a white gel pen can bring it back.

   

2. 2. Draw the Dolphin's Rounded Forehead and Back

   Start right next to the eye, on the left, and draw a curve that goes up and over the eye. Make the top nice and round.

   Tip: A high, round forehead is what makes it read as a dolphin and not a shark.

   

3. 3. Add the Dolphin's Nose With a Sideways U

   Draw the nose in front of the forehead as a sideways U shape, open side facing the head. It sits a little lower than the forehead and pokes out to the left.

   Tip: Keep the nose short and rounded. A long pointy nose starts to look like a bird.

   

4. 4. Draw the Dolphin's Chin and First Flipper

   From the bottom of the nose, draw a curve going down and to the right for the chin. Stop about halfway, do not close it up.

   Tip: Leave a gap between the chin line and the back line. The belly line fills it later.

   

5. 5. Add a Second Flipper to the Dolphin

   Draw a second flipper right next to the first one so the dolphin looks 3D. Make a curve that matches the first flipper, then repeat the same move at the bottom, curving back up into the body.

   Tip: Draw the back flipper a touch smaller. Things farther away look smaller.

   

6. 6. Draw the Dolphin's Belly Line

   The belly line starts under the nose and goes under the flippers. Imagine it running behind the flippers and coming out the other side.

   Tip: Line the two ends of the belly up as if they were one line. That sells the 3D look.

   

7. 7. Draw the Dolphin's Tail Flukes

   At the bottom, draw one curve coming out to the right and a smaller curve on the left. Put a dot below them where those two lines would meet.

   Tip: The dot is your target. Aim both S-curves at it so the tail comes out even.

   

8. 8. Add the Dolphin's Dorsal Fin

   The back fin looks a lot like the side flippers. Draw a curve that comes up out of the dolphin's back, about a third of the way down from the head.

   Tip: Keep the fin small. A big tall fin starts to look like a shark.

   

9. 9. Add the Dolphin's Blow Hole and Smile

   Dolphins breathe through a blow hole on top of the head. Add it as a small dot or short line behind the eye.

   Tip: Add eyelashes like Hadley did if you want a girl dolphin.

   

10. 10. Color Your Cartoon Dolphin

    Pick one color for the body. Rob and Hadley use a light aqua colored pencil and leave the belly white so it stands out.

    Tip: Press lightly first and add a second layer for a deeper color.