How to Draw a Beluga Whale: Easy 10-Step Guide

Ready to bring an arctic friend to life? This tutorial is perfect for young artists ages 5 and up. All you need is a pencil, an eraser, and a piece of paper to master the unique, rounded shape of a beluga whale.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A friendly, finished cartoon beluga whale illustration, perfect for kids' art projects.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Face and Eye

Pencil sketch showing the initial wavy mouth line and a single eye with an eyebrow for a beluga whale.

Start by drawing a soft, wavy line for the front of the mouth. Then, add a circle-within-a-circle for the eye. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil pressure light so you can easily adjust the expression later!

Step 2: Defining the Melon and Jaw

Drawing the rounded forehead and lower jaw structure of the beluga whale.

Use smooth, curved lines to outline the whale's signature rounded forehead (the melon) and the lower jaw. Teacher's Tip: Belugas have very round heads, so don't be afraid to make your curves nice and bubbly.

Step 3: Adding Teeth

Adding small, rounded triangular teeth inside the open mouth of the whale drawing.

Contour the area below the eye and add small, rounded triangles inside the open mouth to represent teeth. Teacher's Tip: Keep the teeth small and uniform to maintain the 'cartoon' style.

Step 4: Sketching the Back

Drawing the long, curved back line of the beluga whale.

Extend a long, graceful curved line from the top of the head to create the whale's back. Teacher's Tip: Imagine the whale is swimming through water; use a fluid, continuous motion with your pencil.

Step 5: Drawing the First Flipper

Adding a small, paddle-shaped flipper to the side of the whale's body.

Draw a short curved line from the lower jaw, doubling it back to form a paddle-shaped flipper. Teacher's Tip: Beluga flippers are quite small compared to their bodies, so keep it compact.

Step 6: Completing the Belly and Second Flipper

Drawing the belly line and the second, partially hidden flipper.

Connect the flipper to the tail area with a curved belly line, and add the second, smaller flipper tucked underneath. Teacher's Tip: This adds depth to your drawing, making it look 3D!

Step 7: Shaping the Tail

Sketching the first half of the whale's tail fin.

Extend the belly line to form the base of the tail, then draw an incomplete triangle shape for the first tail fluke. Teacher's Tip: Keep the lines smooth to mimic the flexibility of a real whale's tail.

Step 8: Finishing the Tail

Completing the second tail fluke to finish the whale's tail structure.

Draw the second tail fluke using two curved lines that meet at a point. Add a small contour line at the base. Teacher's Tip: Make sure the two flukes look symmetrical for a balanced look.

Step 9: Refining the Outline

Refining the final outline of the beluga whale with clean, bold lines.

Go over your sketch with final, confident lines. Add small details to the body and head to give your whale character. Teacher's Tip: This is the time to erase any stray guidelines from your initial sketch.

Step 10: Bringing Your Whale to Life with Color

A fully colored, cartoon-style beluga whale with soft shading and a pink tongue.

Time to color! Belugas are famous for their white skin, so use light gray or blue for shadows. Add a pop of pink for the tongue. Teacher's Tip: Use light shading around the edges to give your whale a round, 3D appearance.