Marine mammals: drawing dolphins and whales

This page is about drawing marine mammals like whales and dolphins. These are characterized by the fact that they breathe air and give birth to live young and that although they spend their whole life in or under water. Accordingly, they have a breathing hole on the back with which they can blow out water.

Whales are the largest mammals on our planet, while dolphins are among the most intelligent creatures.

Both species have adapted to life in the water and have special features like fins to get around, and unlike fish that use gills to breathe, whales and dolphins are lung breathers. They must come to the surface to catch their breath.

Their specially adapted nostrils, called blowholes, allow them to breathe quickly and efficiently before diving back into the water. The blowholes also allow them to expel air, producing characteristic fountains.

They also communicate with each other through complex sounds known as songs and clicks. Whales and dolphins are known for their social structures and their ability to live and hunt in groups.

Drawing whales

Attached are some sample tutorials for learning to draw whales as a step by step guide.

Draw a swimming humpback whale from the side

The humpback whale is one of the largest whales in the world. It is easily recognized by its characteristic hump in the back. In addition, these huge animals are usually covered with barnacles. Side front flippers are equally pockmarked. Due to its diet of plankton, the whale has the typical mouth without teeth.

Jumping humpback whale (belly)

Whether for pleasure or other reasons; whales and dolphins like to jump out of the water. The humpback whale here manages to jump almost completely out of the water. In the process, it pulls along plenty of splashing water.

Jumping humpback whale from the side

Here a jumping whale shown from the side. The humpback whale then drops back into the water with its back.

Whale Fin

Often, when you go whale watching, you only see the tail fin. This is so soft that the fin hangs down.

Two jumping orca whales

Known as killer whales, the black and white orcas are the predators among the whales. They hunt seals, which has also given them the not flattering name killer whale. Accordingly sharp and large are their teeth. Here you can see a jumping pair of orcas.

Drawing dolphins

At this point follow the step by step tutorials on how to draw dolphins.

Two jumping dolphins

Dolphins are very sociable animals, which like to jump through the air very often. For this reason, they have been said to have a high zest for life. Why they actually jump out of the water has not yet been conclusively clarified. But they also like to jump out of the water in groups.

Jumping dolphin

The dolphin is much smaller than the whale and has a curved, slender body which shines strongly on the surface. They are very social and like to jump out of the water as seen in this example picture. Their dorsal fin and long thin nose are also distinctive.

Other pages

• Shading / Drawing shadows
• Drawing fish
• Drawing mermaids

From the German blog

• Blending and shading with a pencil
• Which drawing technique is right for me?
• Painting a sea turtle with brush markers
• Painting a mermaid underwater with markers

From the German forum

• Blending colored pencils