How to Draw a Dolphin At Sunset (Easy Step by Step)
Learn to draw a happy dolphin leaping from the water at sunset with this easy step-by-step guide. You'll use simple shapes like ovals, curves, and lines to create your ocean scene.
- Start your dolphin drawing with a light oval guide.
- Add a curvy back, a small fin, and two little flippers.
- Finish your dolphin with a crescent-shaped tail.
- Draw two straight water lines and a few splashes to complete the scene.
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This dolphin leaps out of the water with a happy smile. It starts with a light oval guide, then adds a curvy back, a small fin, two little flippers, and a crescent tail. Two straight water lines and a few splashes finish the scene.
- Easy
- 15 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 dolphin at sunset step by step
How to Draw a Dolphin At Sunset · 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: Head and top fin
Start at the tip of the nose and draw a big curved hill over the top of the head. Keep going along the back until you make a little notch, then draw a small pointy fin.
Step 3: Long back curve
From the notch by the fin, draw a long smooth curve that bends down and to the right. Stop when the line is about as low as the middle of the body.
Step 4: Snout and chin
Start at the tip of the nose and draw a straight line sloping down and back under the face. This makes the chin and lower jaw.
Step 5: Eye and smile
Draw a small round dot for the eye inside the head. Near the nose, add a short curved line for a happy smile.
Step 6: Two small flippers
Under the chin, draw two small leaf shapes side by side that hang down like little paddles.
Step 7: Tail fin
Draw a line that sweeps down from the flippers and curves to the right. At the end, draw a wide tail shape with two points, like a crescent moon.
Step 8: Water lines
Draw a straight line on each side of the dolphin to show the top of the water. Stop each line before it touches the body.
Step 9: Ripple and drops
Under the tail, draw a small curved arch for a ripple. Next to it, add two tiny dashes for splashing drops.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your dolphin at sunset? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a dolphin or how to draw a shark next.
Tips for drawing a dolphin at sunset
- Draw the light oval first, then trace the top of the head along it so the back curve comes out smooth.
- The tail is the trickiest part. Make two pointed sides that meet in the middle, like a crescent moon.
- Stop the water lines before they touch the dolphin, so the dolphin looks like it is in front of the sea.
Free dolphin at sunset coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this dolphin at sunset 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 dolphin at sunset drawing
Try soft gray-blue for the dolphin with a lighter belly. Color the water around it in blues, and make the splash drops a bright color. For a creative twist, color the background in orange and pink like a sunset.
Dolphin at sunset fun fact for kids
Dolphins sleep with only half of their brain at a time, which lets them keep swimming and rise to the surface to breathe.
Questions about drawing a dolphin at sunset
What shapes do I need to draw a dolphin?
You need a light oval to guide the head and back, two small leaf shapes for the flippers, and a crescent shape for the tail.
How do I make my dolphin look cuter?
Keep the eye a small round dot and place it close to the smile. A short, curved smile makes the dolphin look friendly right away.
How do I draw the water around the dolphin?
Draw a flat line on each side of the dolphin and stop before you touch its body. Then add a small arch and two tiny dashes for splashes.
