How to Draw an Elephant Seal (Easy Step by Step)
You'll learn to draw a round, smiling elephant seal using simple shapes like a bean for the body and curved lines for flippers. This easy, step-by-step guide is perfect for beginners, focusing on soft curves and adding personality with whiskers.
- Start your elephant seal drawing with a big bean shape for the body.
- Form the head with a smaller bump and add curved lines for flippers.
- Focus on soft curves, making this an ideal drawing for beginners.
- Give your elephant seal personality by adding whiskers and snout dots.
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This round, smiling elephant seal is built from a few simple shapes: a big bean for the body, a smaller bump for the head, and curved lines for flippers. It is a good drawing for beginners because most of it is soft curves with no tricky corners. The whiskers and little dots on the snout give it lots of personality.
- Easy
- 10 minutes
- 8 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw an elephant seal step by step
How to Draw an Elephant Seal · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Head and back
Start at the left with a small curl for the nose. Draw a smooth hill over the head, then curve down the back and finish with a little flick at the tail on the right.
Step 2: Chest and belly
Start under the chin and draw a long curve down the front of the chest. Bend it along the bottom into the round tummy and stop with a little bump near the middle.
Step 3: The front flipper
At the bottom left, draw a small pointed shape like a rounded triangle. It sticks out from the chest and rests on the ground like a little paddle.
Step 4: Back flippers
At the bottom right, draw a flat line along the ground to the tail. Then add two tiny curved lines at the end for the toes.
Step 5: Belly folds
Draw two short curved lines going up from the bottom edge to show the chubby folds of the tummy.
Step 6: The smile
Under the nose, start at the chin and draw a wavy line with a little hump in the middle. End it with a small curve on the cheek to make a happy smile.
Step 7: Eye and nostril
Draw a small dark oval for the eye on the side of the head, with a tiny dot above it. Add a tiny dot near the nose, too.
Step 8: Nose and whiskers
Draw a tiny dash for the nostril and a few small dots on the snout. Then add a few short lines sticking out to the left from the mouth for whiskers.
All done!
Go over your lines with a marker, then color it in.
Finished your elephant seal? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a fox or how to draw a hedgehog next.

Tips for drawing an elephant seal
- Draw the head and back as one smooth line first. Making the head a gentle bump on the upper left keeps the seal looking chubby and friendly.
- Draw the front flipper as a rounded triangle. If it looks too sharp, round off the corners so it looks soft.
- Keep the whiskers short. Draw a few lines that fan out from the same area near the mouth, and don't make them too long.
Free elephant seal coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this elephant seal 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 elephant seal drawing
Soft grays and silvery browns work well for a seal, with a lighter color on the belly. For a creative twist, color the seal in sunset pinks and purples, or draw an ice floe and some snowflakes around it.
Elephant seal fun fact for kids
Elephant seals get their name from the large, trunk-like nose that adult males grow. They can dive more than a mile deep and hold their breath for over an hour.
Questions about drawing an elephant seal
What shapes do I need to draw an elephant seal?
You need one big bean or egg shape for the body, a smaller rounded bump for the head, and a rounded triangle for the front flipper. A few curved lines finish the belly folds, smile, and back flippers.
How do I make my elephant seal look cuter?
Draw a small, dark eye and a smiling curved mouth. Make the body extra round and chubby, and add a few tiny dots and whiskers on the snout.
How long does it take to draw an elephant seal?
Most kids finish this drawing in about 10 minutes. Take your time with the round body shape, because the rest of the drawing builds on it.






