How to Draw a Hippocampus (Easy Step by Step)
Learn to draw a cute mythical sea horse, a hippocampus, with easy step-by-step instructions. You'll use simple wobbly lines to create its head, body, tail, and add finishing touches like an eye and water.
- Start your hippocampus drawing by outlining its head and snout.
- Create a bumpy crest, back, and a round belly for its body.
- Draw a small fin and a big curly tail like a spiral shell.
- Add a dot for the eye, splashes, and wavy lines to finish your drawing.
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A hippocampus is a mythical sea horse, and this cute version is drawn with simple wobbly lines. You start with the head and snout, add a bumpy crest and back, then draw a round belly, a small fin, and a big curly tail like a spiral shell. A dot for the eye, a few splashes, and two wavy lines of water finish it off.
- Medium
- 15 minutes
- 8 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 hippocampus step by step
How to Draw a Hippocampus · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Head and snout
Start near the top with a short wobbly line, then curve it down and to the left to make the front of the face. Finish with a rounded snout that sticks out to the left and ends in a short line going right under the chin.
Step 2: Top crest
Start at the top of the forehead and draw a bumpy wavy line going up and over to the right. Make two or three soft bumps, like a little crown.
Step 3: Bumpy back
Start where the crest ends and draw a wiggly line curving down the back of the neck. Make rounded bumps like a row of small hills, and stop partway down.
Step 4: Neck and belly
Start under the chin and draw a long curve that bends down like a round tummy. Let it slide into a gentle S shape that ends near the bottom with a tiny hook.
Step 5: Fin and curly tail
Draw a small bumpy fin on the back, below the wiggly line, with a little curl at the top. Then draw the back of the tail down from the fin and curl it around into a spiral that meets the end of the belly line.
Step 6: The eye
Draw one round dot for the eye, near the front of the head just above the snout.
Step 7: Splash dashes
Draw two short curved dashes in the air, one on each side of the tail. They look like little drops flying up.
Step 8: Waves
At the bottom, draw one short wavy line on the left and one on the right of the tail. Make them gently rolling, like ripples in the water.
All done!
Go over your lines with a marker, then color it in.
Finished your hippocampus? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a unicorn or how to draw a dragon next.
Tips for drawing a hippocampus
- The curly tail is the trickiest part. Draw the long curve first, then spiral inward slowly, and leave space between the loops.
- Keep the bumps on the crest and back about the same size. Think of them as little hills so they look even.
- Draw the eye near the front of the head, just above the snout, so the face looks sweet and curious.
Free hippocampus coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this hippocampus 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 hippocampus drawing
Try teal, sky blue and purple for the body, with a bright yellow or pink crest. For a creative twist, give your hippocampus rainbow stripes down its tail, or add tiny bubbles and starfish around the waves.
Hippocampus fun fact for kids
In Greek myths, the hippocampus had the front of a horse and the tail of a fish, and it pulled the chariot of the sea god Poseidon. Real seahorses are fish too, and the dad seahorse carries the babies in a pouch.
Questions about drawing a hippocampus
What shapes do I need to draw a hippocampus?
You need a rounded snout and head, a few small bumps for the crest and back, a curved S for the belly, a small fin, and a spiral for the tail. The splashes are short dashes, and the waves are gentle squiggly lines.
How do I make my hippocampus look cuter?
Make the eye a nice round dot and keep the snout short and soft. Rounded bumps and a curly tail also make it look friendly.
How do I draw the curly tail?
Draw a long curve down from the fin, then keep curling it inward like a snail shell. If you practice the spiral on scrap paper first, it gets much easier.
