Caroline
There are so many weird and wonderful creatures that populate our oceans, and each one is more incredible than the last.
Some manage to stand out even amongst all this variety, and seahorses would be an example of this.
These curious and cute creatures are a wonder to behold, and that’s why we are featuring them in this guide on how to draw a cartoon seahorse!
This guide will show you all the tips and tricks you need to know about drawing this cute design, and it will make it easier and more fun to work through as well.
Now you’re ready to begin this fun and easy step-by-step guide on how to draw a cartoon seahorse in just 6 steps!
How to Draw A Cartoon Seahorse – Let’s Get Started!
Step 1
The design that we have for this cartoon seahorse drawing is really cute, and we will show you just how you can draw it yourself as we move through all these steps.
To begin, we will draw the eye. This is drawn as a simple black, solid circle that has a few white details on it to show the glinting of the eye.
We also added some curved lines above and below the eye for some extra personality.
Then, you can draw the front of the face. Seahorses have long, thin faces that end in a puckered mouth, and this is how we have depicted this one.
Once you have drawn the eye and facial details, we can move on to step 2!
Step 2 – Draw the crest on top of the head
In this second step of our guide on how to draw a cartoon seahorse, we will be adding a crest on top of the head.
This has some long, thin structural spines that you can see in our reference image.
Once you have drawn these, we will then add a curved line between each one for the soft, leathery sections between them.
That’s all there is to it for step 2, and then we can continue to the third step.
Step 3 – Extend the crest and draw more of the neck
You began drawing the crest on top of the head in the previous step, and we will extend it further down in this third part.
The crest will move down from the head and onto the neck, and we will also start adding that in this step.
The crest will look very similar to the first portion, but as you move further down the sections will get slightly closer together.
Finally, use a curvy line for the back of the neck beneath the crest, and then you’re finished with this step and ready for the next one.
Step 4 – Now finish off the crest and draw the chest of the seahorse
Our fourth step of this cartoon seahorse drawing will see you finishing off the crest you’ve been working on and also adding the chest.
First, let’s focus on the crest. This will now be moving even further down the neck, and the sections will get even smaller the further you go.
Then we can draw the chest. Seahorses have a very curious body shape, and you’ll want to try and follow the reference image closely to get it looking right.
The chest is sharply curved, and once it is drawn we will be ready to add more of the body in the next steps.
Step 5 – Draw the rest of the body outline
You will be finishing off the outline for the body and tail of the cartoon seahorse in this next step. That will leave you ready to add some final touches in the next step!
First, keep extending the body down, making sure that it gets thinner the further it goes.
This will then culminate in the twisty, spiral tail at the end. We will also be adding a small fin poking off of the back, as shown in the reference image.
Finally, use some more curved lines for the outline of the stomach, and then we can move on to the final touches in the next step!
Step 6 – Now, add some final details for this cartoon seahorse
Now you’re ready to add the final touches in this sixth step of our guide on how to draw a cartoon seahorse.
These details will be fairly simple, but they will finish it off nicely. First, draw some horizontal curved lines across the stomach portion to add some texture.
Finally, we added small circular shapes onto the surface of the body, and you could add more or fewer of these as you see fit.
Then, you’re ready for the final step! Be sure to add any additional details of your own that you may like.
These could include some background details that show an ocean setting with other creatures! What setting would you create for this cute cartoon seahorse?
Bonus: Create A Beautiful Background For This Cartoon Seahorse Drawing
This drawing of a cartoon seahorse looks amazing already, and one of the things you can do to make it even better would be to add a background.
Luckily, our oceans are filled with many incredible sights to behold, so you would have many options for how you could add a background.
When adding a background, you could make it as detailed or as simplistic as you like, as it’s all about creating a picture you feel comfortable making.
It’s good to challenge yourself, but you also don’t want to spoil the fun by making it too frustrating. You can start simply, perhaps with a wavy line behind the seahorse to show the ocean floor.
Then, it’s a matter of adding some more specific details such as coral, plants and other creatures. If you had fun drawing this seahorse, then you could follow the guide again and add a whole bunch more.
There are so many other creatures that could be added, such as dolphins, sharks and whales. No matter what you add, they could be drawn in a similar cartoony style or made more detailed.
If you’re having a hard time adding a background, then it could help to look up some pictures online. These can give you some inspiration and help you to think of more details to add.
You could also go for other kinds of backgrounds, such as having the seahorse in a fish tank, or even something more imaginative. Maybe you could create an underwater ocean racetrack for the seahorses for a fun twist.
These are a few ideas, but we’re sure you have many more you could use! We would love to see what you choose for the background of your cartoon seahorse drawing.
Step 7 – Finish off your drawing with some color
This final step is all about finishing off with some color. We went for a bright, stunning color scheme with our example image.
We used some beautiful gold and bright oranges to bring this seahorse to life. You could go for these if you like this look, but it’s also up to you!
Seahorses can come in many different color schemes, so you have tons of options for how you could color it in.
This is your chance to really show off your creativity, so have fun with it and see what happens!
3 More tips to make your cartoon seahorse drawing easy!
Take a dive underwater to make this easy to draw cartoon seahorse even easier!
We made this cartoon seahorse drawing fairly simple when it comes to details, but there are still some tricky aspects. You can play around with changing some details if it will make it easier for you.
These could be some of the texture details, but it could also include the actual design itself. For instance, you could make the design of the tail a bit simpler if the twistiness of it is becoming too difficult to draw.
That’s just one example, and it all depends on what you personally find trickiest to draw. Try to focus on the parts you just can’t seem to get the hang of and change them in any ways that makes it easier!
This drawing of a cartoon seahorse has been created in a cartoon style, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use real photos to help you!
If you go online, you will find many pictures of real seahorses that you can use as a reference.
These reference images will help you not only with the smaller details but also the form and proportions of the animal.
Even if you stick to the cartoon style we created in this guide, it can still make it so much easier when you have the real thing in front of you. Having the photos can also help you if you wish to make some variations.
When creating this cartoon seahorse sketch, you may be tempted to get all your favorite drawing pens and just go for it. That can be a bad idea, as you will be much more nervous about making mistakes.
That nervousness goes away when you use pencils first in order to plan out the image. You can use light pencils that get progressively darker with each layer in order to start building up details.
Then, when you’re happy with how it looks you can get your fancy drawing pens and finish up!
Your Cartoon Seahorse Drawing is Complete!
We hope that you had an amazing time taking a trip under the sea with this guide on how to draw a cartoon seahorse!
These steps are here to show you how easy and fun it can be, so as long as you follow them closely then you will end up with a wonderful drawing before you know it.
When you’re ready to take on a new, incredible drawing challenge, you will find many more guides to enjoy on our website! Be sure to check in often to never miss out.
Lastly, we’re sure you’ll want to show off your amazing finished cartoon seahorse drawing! You can share your creation on our Facebook and Pinterest pages for us to see.
