How to Draw a Grey Whale: Easy 10-Step Guide for Kids

Ready to dive into the ocean? This tutorial is perfect for young artists ages 5 and up. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and some paper to bring this gentle giant to life while practicing your curved line control.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A colorful, friendly cartoon grey whale swimming in the ocean.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Head

Line drawing of a grey whale head showing the jaw and eye placement.

Draw the whale's head using two curved lines that meet to form the open jaw. For the eye, sketch a small, partial circle and shade the pupil. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil pressure light so you can easily erase any overlapping lines later.

Step 2: Defining the Blowhole

Close up of the whale head with a blowhole detail added.

Extend the lower jaw line and add a small, curved mark on top of the head to represent the blowhole. Teacher's Tip: Think of the blowhole as a tiny 'comma' shape to give it a realistic look.

Step 3: Adding the Flipper

Drawing the whale's side flipper with textured lines.

Draw a long, scalloped curved line to create the side flipper. Connect it to the body and add a few short lines for texture. Teacher's Tip: Use short, quick strokes to make the flipper look like it has natural skin folds.

Step 4: Shaping the Back

Drawing the long, bumpy back of the grey whale.

Continue the head line to form a wavy, lumpy back. This gives the whale its characteristic 'grey whale' silhouette. Teacher's Tip: Don't worry about making the line perfectly smooth; whales have bumpy skin!

Step 5: Sketching the Tail

Adding the tail flukes to the whale's body.

Draw the stomach line and finish the tail by connecting two curved points. Add small lines for texture. Teacher's Tip: Make the tail points sharp to create a nice contrast with the rounded body.

Step 6: Throat Texture

Adding parallel lines to the throat to show texture.

Add parallel curved lines along the throat area. Teacher's Tip: These lines represent the whale's baleen plates and throat grooves—keep them evenly spaced for a clean look.

Step 7: Belly Details

Extending the throat lines down the belly of the whale.

Continue the parallel lines along the belly to match the throat. Teacher's Tip: Follow the curve of the body so the lines look like they are wrapping around the whale.

Step 8: Adding Skin Patches

Adding blotchy skin patches to the whale's back.

Draw small, irregular blotches across the skin. Teacher's Tip: Grey whales are known for their mottled appearance, so vary the size of your patches to make it look authentic.

Step 9: Finalizing Details

Finalizing the drawing with additional skin patches.

Add a few more patches on the head and tail to complete the look. Teacher's Tip: Step back and look at your drawing to ensure the patches are balanced across the whole body.

Step 10: Color Your Whale

Finished grey whale drawing colored with shades of grey and white.

Time to color! Use shades of grey, and add hints of brown or white for the patches. Teacher's Tip: Use a darker grey for the top of the whale and a lighter shade for the belly to create a sense of depth.