In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Humpback Whale step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this Humpback Whale step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a circle near the left side of the paper as a guide for the front part of the humpback whale's body. First make four marks to determine the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: To the right, draw another circle using the same technique as a guide for the back portion of the body. Make this circle bigger than the first one and place it slightly higher. The farther apart you place these circles, the longer the whale's body will be.

Step 3: Far off to the left, make a small mark for the first part of the guide for the head. Connect the mark to the first circle to create a big, narrow, sideways arc as a guide for the humpback whale's head. Pay attention to the size of the arc in relation to the first circle. The base should be wide and the tip narrow.

Step 4: Connect the tops of the circles using a long line for the first part of the torso. Connect the bottoms of the circles using another long line to complete the guide for the humpback whale's torso.

Step 5: From the top of the second circle, draw a long, wavy line as a guide for the top part of the back portion of the humpback whale's body. Sketch lightly at first. Add another wavy line at the bottom to complete the guide. Pay attention to the lengths of these lines. The base should be thick and the tip pointy. The shape should slope down and then curve up slightly at the tip.

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Step 6: Below the first circle, off to the right, draw a diagonal line as a guide for the first flipper. Add a parallel line to the right and close off the shape at the bottom to finish the guide. This shape should be pretty long. To the left, draw a similar shape only smaller as a guide for the humpback whale's other flipper.

Step 7: On the right tip, draw the first part of the tail fluke using a sloping line at the top and a curved line at the bottom. At the top, draw the other half of the humpback whale's fluke using a similar shape, only inverted and smaller.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 8: Inside the first circle, near the left edge, draw a very small oval for the eye. When you get the position and size of the eye right, darken the shape but makes the sides pointier like a little football. Shade the inside of the humpback whale's eye using a medium value. Add a tiny dark dot in the middle for the pupil. Draw a couple of short, curved lines above the eye to emphasize the brow. Draw a couple of curved lines under the eye too for creases on the skin.

Step 9: Starting on the lower, left side of the eye, draw a line that slopes upward for the first part of the mouth. Continue to draw the line toward the tip of the initial arc on the left to finish the humpback whale's long mouth. Sketch lightly at first. When you get the shape of the mouth right, darken the line. The top of the mouth should be close to the top of the head. The tip on the right should be almost under the eye. Darken to top part of the initial arc to create the head. Use wavy lines on the left side for a bumpy texture. Near the middle of the head, draw an extra curved bump for the blowhole. Draw a short line below the bump on the head to create the whale's blowhole slit.

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Step 10: Use the bottom part of the initial arc as a guide to draw the lower half of the head. Use short, curved lines along the path of the arc on the left side for the bumpy skin found there. Darken the rest of the initial arc on the right side to complete the shape of the humpback whale's head. Draw a few more short, curved lines on the left tip for more bumps and barnacles on the lower part of the mouth.

Step 11: Use the big, angular shape under the whale's body as a guide to draw the first flipper. Draw the shape of the flipper around the guide but make the left edge wavier for the bumps and barnacles. Make the corners of the shape rounder as you darken the guide lines. Stretch the top of the flipper inside the shape of the body and curve the line. Humpback whale flippers are some of the longest in any whale in relation to their bodies, so don't draw these shapes too small.

Step 12: Use the angled shape on the left as a guide to draw the humpback whale's other flipper the same way. Make the flipper rounder than the guide.

Step 13: Use the initial lines and shapes as guides to draw the main part of the body. Darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the body. At the top of the second initial circle, draw a small, triangular shape for the short dorsal fin on the back. Darken the underside of the humpback whale's body but don't overlap the flipper that's on this side of the body. Stretch the shape of the body into the tail and make the end on the right a bit wider than the initial guide.

Step 14: Use the triangular shapes on the right as guides to draw the tail. Darken the path of the guides but make the shapes rounder. Use wavy lines on the left edge for the skin texture.

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Step 15: Add a few more lines and shapes within the body for extra detail. Draw a series of long, curved lines along the humpback whale's bottom jaw for the ridges and grooves found here. Don't draw too many lines. Just a few for the texture. Add some on the underside of the whale's body to the right of the flipper too. About halfway between the flippers and the tail, on the underside of the body, draw a curved shape for markings found there. Add some lines along the right side of the body for more creases and detail on the skin.

Step 16: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Add some shading to your drawing for extra detail. Humpback whales don't have a pattern on their bodies like spots or stripes, so just add a medium value all over. Leave a few circular shapes on the tip of the mouth blank for the white bumps and barnacles. Leave the section with the ridges at the bottom blank. The splotchy marking and the flippers should be blank too. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Use a slightly darker value along the bottom of the humpback whale's body to make the shape rounder and to give it more dimension. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. As you shade, use long, smooth, horizontal strokes for a sleek surface. Avoid a rough and gritty texture. Use a lighter value on the top side for a rounder shape and to give the body more volume. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks.

Shade lightly at first, and then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you like. Don't push down too hard on your pencil though or the graphite may become shiny, and you may tear your paper. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for an accurate depiction of a humpback whale.

Draw a series of irregular shapes for the spots on the underside of the body and flippers. Your spots don't have to look exactly like mine. Don't overthink it. Just add different-sized splotches throughout the white areas. Don't cover all the white areas with spots. Leave some large areas blank, especially on the flippers. Add some light value along the white underside of the whale's body for a shadow. This makes the figure more three-dimensional. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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