Sharks are some of the most fascinating creatures in the sea. Their beauty is only matched by their stealth and artists have been trying to capture the mystery of these animals for generations. Summer seems like a fitting season to find out how to draw a shark, so our artist has created this mini-tutorial on shark drawing. So follow these, take your time, and learn to draw a realistic shark.
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish distinguished by its cartilaginous skeleton, gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that aren’t fused to the head.
Sharks are studied in great detail by biologists who spend years researching specific types of sharks. To draw one, you should approach your research and observation in a similar way. Whether your goal is drawing a whale shark, bull shark, prehistoric megalodon, or even a trendy baby shark, an ocean of options is available: over 400 different species of shark to be exact. All sharks have slightly different features, so choose the type of shark you want to draw and pay attention to the details.
How to draw a shark step by step
First, start on the left side of the paper, towards the middle. Draw a sideways “V” pointing towards the left side of the paper. In the middle of the sideways “V” draw a dot for an eye. Draw a line above the eye if you want your shark to look mean. Next, draw a smaller sideways “V” under the first one. That will be the bottom jaw. Draw some teeth inside of the mouth!
Your shark is almost done! Add another curved line for the belly of the shark, from the bottom of the head to the tail. Next to the eyes and mouth, draw 3 curved lines going almost from the top of the shark to the bottom of the shark. These are the gil ls. Last, draw little “Vs” pointing down for the other fins.
Some Shark drawing pictures
One of the most famous among them is the great white shark. At an average of 15 feet in length and often weighing more than 2,000 pounds, these fish are some of the most efficient macropredators.
Want to learn how to capture a great white on paper? This tutorial will teach you how to render the large shark in pencil, before completing it in ink. All you will need to get started is a reference photo of a great white, some paper, and drawing supplies. Ready to give it a go? Then, let’s draw a shark!
Once you practice drawing this shark, you’ll be ready to capture more movements of this magnificent fish in the future. A great way to see sharks up close is to visit an aquarium. One day you may visit one, so be sure to take your sketchbook and pencils to make some preliminary drawings. You can always check out images online for references. There are also loads of videos and films you can stream to watch sharks in action! We hope this guide inspires you to give shark drawing a try and we’d love to hear from you about it!
Recommendations
- Instead of trying to draw the shark as you see it, start by drawing basic shapes. It’s easier to go from simple geometric shapes and refine these as you work on the drawing.
- Once you begin adding in more detail, draw from the general to the specific. Here the artist started with the placement of the fins before adding the teeth.
- Use an HB medium soft pencil to make your drawing pop out! All excess lines will be erased without leaving any marks.
Start by drawing a diagonal irregular oval shape with a pointed right edge. There should also be a minimal bump on the opposite end of the shape. This creates the shape of the shark’s body.
When drawing an outline, it’s important to draw with light strokes. Avoid pressing down too hard with your pencil so you can easily get rid of any lines that you might no longer need later on.
To ensure that the shark will be drawn in the center, you can create reference lines by drawing an intersecting horizontal and vertical shape across your paper. The point where the two lines meet marks the spot where you should draw the outline.
