Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Blue Whale" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

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 two small circles as guides for the blue whale's body. The circles don't have to be perfect. They're just guides. Leave enough room on the left and right side for the blue whale's head and tail. Blue whales are very long, so don't draw the circles too close to each other, otherwise you'll end up with a short whale. The distance between the circles should be about the width of the two circles of the same size side by side.

Step 2: Draw an arc on the right side of the circle on the right as a guide for the blue whale's head. The arc should be similar to a greater-than sign (>). The length of the arc should be almost twice the width of the circle.

Step 3: Draw another arc on the left side of the circle on the left as a guide for the blue whale's tail. The arc should be a bit thinner and similar to a less-than sign (<).

Step 4: Draw two lines that connect the two sides to form the blue whale's body.

Step 5: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head to help you place the blue whale's facial features later on.

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Step 6: Draw a small arc with a diagonal orientation on the lower left side of the first circle as a guide for the blue whale's pectoral fin.

Step 7: Draw a triangle-like shape on the left side as a guide for the tail or flukes. To draw this shape, first draw a diagonal line on the left side, then connect the line on the body with two shorter diagonal lines.

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

Step 8: Now draw the blue whale's eyes inside the head. First lightly sketch an oval. Use the lines as guides for placement. Darken the oval and make the ends pointier. Draw a couple of curved lines inside for the blue whale's eyeball. Shade in the inside of the eye except for the sides and a tiny circle to represent glare. Draw a few lines around the blue whale's eye as the wrinkles and folds of skin.

Step 9: Use the initial lines as guides to draw the blue whale's mouth and lower jaw. The mouth starts under the eye. Follow the basic path of the guide line but curve the line up more. Sketch lightly to get the line right. When you get the structure of the blue whale's mouth right, darken the line. Continue the line under the mouth to create the lower jaw. Follow the basic path of the arc as you darken the line. Make the jaw a bit thinner than the initial arc.

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Step 10: Use the top part of the arc as a guide to draw the top of the blue whale's mouth or rostrum. Follow the path of the arc as you darken the line. At the top, draw a small bump for the splashguard and a line for the blue whale's blowhole.

Step 11: Use the initial arc as a guide to draw the blue whale's pectoral fin. Draw the top of the fin closer to the head. Bend the left side of it a bit more. Draw a line inside of it on the right side for extra detail.

Step 12: Use the triangle-like shape on the left side as a guide to draw the blue whale's flukes. Follow the basic path of the lines but make them curve more as you darken them. The ends of the flukes should be pointy. The middle portion should dip in toward the body.

Step 13: Draw the top of the blue whale's body by using the initial lines as guides. Follow the path of the guides but bend the body up more as you darken the line. Draw a small, pointy triangle-like shape above the circle on the left for the blue whale's tiny dorsal fin. Sketch lightly at first, then darken the lines when you get the structure right.

Step 14: Use the remaining lines as guides to draw the bottom portion of the blue whale's body. Sketch lightly as you follow the path of the guides to get the structure right. Bend the line more near the circle on the left to simulate movement and not have the blue whale so static.

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Step 15 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guides. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your blue whale drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it.

You can add more value throughout your blue whale drawing for extra detail. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Try to add the value smoothly for a sleek feel instead of a rough texture. Shading can be very time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's a good idea to use reference for a more accurate blue whale drawing. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Blue Whale" video to draw at your own pace.

Finish your blue whale drawing by adding a few long lines under the mouth to indicate the grooves on the throat.

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To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

 

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