Watch it draw itself · tap to replay
How to Draw Ocean Layers
Draw ocean layers in 14 easy steps, about 11 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: sea layers.
Step 1: Sea layers
Near the top draw a wavy line across. Below it draw 2 straight lines across and a bumpy sea floor.
Tip Start each line near the left edge and stop near the right edge. Now the sea has 3 layers of water.
Step 2: Little sun
Above the waves, on the right, draw a small round sun with 8 short rays.
Tip Sunlight only reaches the top layer of the sea.
Step 3: Dolphin body
In the top layer draw a long curved body with a pointed beak on the right and a thin tail.
Step 4: Fins and tail
Add a curved fin on the back, a flipper underneath and a tail like a crescent moon.
Step 5: Dolphin's face
Draw a dot eye and a small smile. Draw a belly line from the chin along to the tail.
Tip Leave a tiny white shine in the eye.
Step 6: Jellyfish
In the middle layer draw a dome with a wavy bottom edge. Hang 4 wiggly tentacles under it.
Tip The middle layer is the twilight zone: only a little light gets down here.
Step 7: Anglerfish body
In the bottom layer draw a round fish with a big open mouth on the right. Add a tail fin.
Step 8: Teeth, eye, fin
Draw 3 pointy teeth on each jaw, a round eye with a black dot, and a little side fin.
Step 9: Glowing light
From the forehead draw a thin rod curving forward. On its tip draw a spiky star for the light.
Tip It is pitch dark down here. The anglerfish makes its own light!
Step 10: Starfish
On the sea floor, on the right, draw a starfish: a star with 5 fat rounded arms.
Step 11: Yellow and pink
Go over your lines. Colour the sun and the fish's light yellow. Colour the jellyfish and the starfish pink.
Step 12: Grey and brown
Colour the dolphin grey above its belly line and the anglerfish brown. Leave the belly, teeth and eye white.
Step 13: Light blue and blue
Colour the top layer light blue and the middle layer blue, around the dolphin and the jellyfish.
Step 14: Dark sea, sandy floor
Colour the bottom layer dark blue around the anglerfish and its light. Colour the sea floor sandy yellow.
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: ocean layers, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
