How to Draw a Baby Dolphin (Easy Step by Step)
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A baby dolphin with a happy smile is a fun drawing that starts with one big oval. You add a pointy beak, a curved back fin, a little flipper and a tail, then finish with wavy water lines. It is a great first sea animal for young artists.
- Easy
- 12 minutes
- 9 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawing
In this article (7 sections)
How to draw a baby dolphin step by step
How to Draw a Baby Dolphin · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: The body
Draw a big leaning oval for the body, with a small pointed beak at the upper right. Add a short line sticking out at the lower left where the tail will go.
Step 3: The back fin
On top of the back, draw a little curved triangle with its tip pointing up. The bottom of the fin sits on the body line.
Step 4: The side flipper
Under the tummy on the right, draw a small curved triangle that points down like a tiny wing. Start where it touches the body and sweep it out and back.
Step 5: The tail
At the left end of the body, start at the tip of the short line and draw a wavy zigzag that ends in a pointy tail fin. It joins the body line at both ends.
Step 6: Eye, smile and cheek
Near the beak, draw a small dot for the eye and a short curved smile line at the tip of the beak. Add a little oval on the cheek below the eye.
Step 7: Tail tip
At the bottom of the tail, add a tiny slanted line to finish the tip.
Step 8: The top wave
Under the dolphin, draw a long wavy line with smooth up and down hills. It starts right where the tail touches the water.
Step 9: The bottom wave
Draw a second, slightly shorter wavy line below the first one. Match the size of the hills so the water looks calm.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your baby dolphin? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a baby turtle hatching or how to draw a marine biologist next.
Tips for drawing a baby dolphin
- Draw the body oval very lightly first, tilted like a leaning egg, so you can fix the shape before pressing hard.
- The tail is the trickiest part. Go slowly and draw the wavy zigzag in small pieces, ending in a pointy tip.
- Keep the wave hills about the same size and spacing, and draw them slowly in one smooth line without lifting your pencil.
Free baby dolphin coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this baby dolphin coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your baby dolphin drawing
Color the dolphin in soft blues and grays with a lighter tummy, and make the water a deeper blue. For a creative twist, give the dolphin rainbow stripes or add a sunset sky behind it.
Baby dolphin fun fact for kids
Baby dolphins are called calves, and a mother dolphin stays very close to her calf, often swimming right beside it. Dolphins also whistle to each other, and each one has its own signature whistle, a bit like a name.
Questions about drawing a baby dolphin
What shapes do I need to draw a baby dolphin?
You need one big tilted oval for the body, two curved triangles for the back fin and flipper, and a small dot and oval for the eye and cheek. Wavy lines make the water.
How do I make my dolphin look cuter?
Draw the eye close to the beak, and add a round cheek and a gentle smile. A chubby, round body makes it look even more like a baby.
How do I draw the tail so it looks right?
Start at the short line at the left end of the body and draw a wavy zigzag that ends in a pointy fin. Then add the tiny slanted line at the bottom of the tail.
