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How to Draw a Jumping Dolphin

13 steps · Medium · about 10 min

Draw a jumping dolphin in 13 easy steps, about 10 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.

Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: leaping back.

Step 1: Leaping back
Start low on the left. Draw a big rainbow arc up over the top and stop on the right.
Tip This arc is the whole jump, so make it big.
Step 2: Round head
From the right end, curve down a round forehead into a short nose. Round the tip and stop under it.
Tip The nose points down at the water.
Step 3: Eye and smile
Draw a big round eye with a black dot. From the nose tip draw a long smile towards it.
Tip Leave a tiny white shine in the eye.
Step 4: Curved belly
Start under the head. Draw a smaller arc back under the first one. Stop near where you began.
Tip The body is fat in the middle and thin at the tail.
Step 5: Tail flukes
Start at the end of the back. Draw 2 fat leaf shapes with a dip between. Stop at the belly.
Tip The 2 leaves match, like a pair of wings.
Step 6: Fin on top
Start on the back, at the top. Draw a fin curving up and back to a round tip, then down.
Step 7: Flipper
On the belly, below the fin, draw a leaf flipper hanging down and pointing back to the tail.
Tip Rub out the belly line inside the flipper.
Step 8: Belly band
Start under the head. Draw a long curve inside the belly and stop on the belly near the tail.
Step 9: Waves
Under the dolphin draw a row of wave bumps across the paper.
Step 10: Big splash
Under the tail draw a puffy cloud of 5 bumps sitting on the waves. Add 3 drops flying up.
Step 11: Cream belly
Colour the belly band cream. Do not colour the flipper yet.
Step 12: Blue water
Colour the water under the waves and the 3 drops light blue. Leave the splash white.
Step 13: Blue dolphin
Colour the dolphin blue, around the cream belly. Leave the eye white.