How to Draw a Dolphin

Step 1: Round head

Start near the top, left of middle. Draw a big arc down into a short blunt nose. Stop under it.

Tip The head is the biggest part. The nose is short, not pointy.

Step 2: Beak

Start under the nose tip. Draw a short curve back and stop under the corner of the head.

Tip Where you stop is the chin.

Step 3: Smile and eye

From the nose tip, draw a long smile back along the beak, curling up. Add a big round eye above.

Tip The curled smile is what makes it a dolphin.

Step 4: Long back

Start at the top of the head. Draw one long line sloping gently down to near the right edge.

Step 5: Fin on top

Start on the back behind the head. Draw a fin curving up and back to a round tip, back down.

Tip Both ends sit on the back. The fin leans back like a wave.

Step 6: Belly

Start at the chin. Draw a deep smile belly rising to the right. Stop below the end of the back.

Tip Leave a short neck, about one eye tall, before the tail.

Step 7: Flipper

Start on the belly under the eye. Draw a leaf flipper pointing back, and stop on the belly further along.

Tip Both ends sit on the belly line.

Step 8: Belly band

Start on the smile under the eye. Draw a long curve above the belly and meet it near the neck.

Tip The band passes above the flipper.

Step 9: Tail flukes

From the back's end, draw a fat fluke up and back to the neck, then one down to the belly.

Tip Like a sideways bow tie. No line across the neck.

Step 10: Water

Draw a row of wave bumps across the paper, behind the belly, so the dolphin swims in the water.

Tip Stop the bumps where they touch the dolphin, and start again after it.

Step 11: Bubbles

In the water under the tail, draw 3 bubbles rising up: big, medium, then small.

Step 12: Cream belly, blue water

Colour the belly and lower jaw cream. Colour the water below the waves blue, around the dolphin and bubbles.

Step 13: Colour it blue

Colour the head, back, fin, flipper and tail blue, around the cream belly. Leave the eye white.