How to Draw a Cartoon Dolphin: Easy 10-Step Guide

Ready to bring a friendly dolphin to life? This tutorial is perfect for young artists ages 5 and up. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and some paper to start building your own ocean scene.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

Colorful cartoon dolphin jumping out of the ocean waves

Step-by-Step Instructions

Sketching the Dolphin's Face

Pencil sketch showing a dolphin snout and eye on white paper

Start by drawing a soft 'U' shape for the snout. Add a small oval for the eye with a dark pupil inside. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil lines light so you can easily adjust the shape if the snout looks a bit too long!

Defining the Mouth

Close up of a cartoon dolphin mouth with tongue detail

Draw a second 'U' shape below the first to form the lower jaw. Add a small curved line inside for the tongue. Teacher's Tip: Use a gentle, fluid motion to make the mouth look like it's smiling.

Outlining the Body and Flipper

Outline of a dolphin body shape with one side fin

Draw a long, smooth curve for the back and a shorter one for the belly. Add a teardrop shape for the pectoral fin. Teacher's Tip: Imagine the dolphin is gliding through water; keep your lines smooth, not jagged.

Adding the Dorsal Fin and Tail

Dolphin outline showing the back fin and start of tail

Add a triangular dorsal fin on the back and start the tail by drawing a curved line that doubles back. Teacher's Tip: The dorsal fin should look like a small shark fin—keep it pointed!

Completing the Tail and Fins

Dolphin drawing with completed tail and both side fins

Finish the tail fluke and add the second pectoral fin on the far side. Teacher's Tip: Make sure the tail flukes are symmetrical to give your dolphin balance.

Adding Splash Effects

Dolphin with water splash details underneath

Draw a curved line under the belly and add small, raindrop-shaped splashes. Teacher's Tip: Vary the size of your splashes to make the water look like it's really moving.

Refining the Splash

Detailed water splash drawing around the dolphin

Add more curved lines to create a starburst effect for the water splash. Teacher's Tip: Don't worry about making these perfect; water splashes are naturally messy and irregular!

Drawing Ocean Waves

Dolphin drawing with ocean waves added in the background

Draw wavy lines with gentle points in the background to represent the ocean surface. Teacher's Tip: Use long, sweeping strokes for the waves to show the vastness of the sea.

Finalizing the Background

Completed line art of a dolphin jumping in the ocean

Add a few more waves to fill the space and complete your scene. Teacher's Tip: Check your drawing for any stray pencil marks and erase them now to prepare for coloring.

Adding Color

Finished colored drawing of a cartoon dolphin

Bring your dolphin to life! Use shades of blue and grey for the body, and keep the belly lighter. Teacher's Tip: Try using a light blue for the water to make your grey dolphin really pop!