Caroline
Sharks are creatures that many people fear. These predators come in many shapes and sizes, and they glide through the waters of the ocean looking for prey.
The movie Jaws did a lot to make the general public fear these creatures, but they are really incredible animals that deserve a lot of respect!
We will be focusing on the fun side of these animals as we work through this guide on how to draw a cartoon shark.
This tutorial will now only show you how easy it can be to draw one of these amazing animals, it will show you how much fun it can be!
So get ready to take a deep dive into coloring fun as we begin this step-by-step guide on how to draw a cartoon shark in 6 easy steps!
How to Draw A Cartoon Shark – Let’s Get Started!
Step 1
This cartoon shark drawing will begin with the head outline. We will also add some facial features to the image, and we will start with one of these.
This means we will begin by drawing the eye. It will have a solid black circle at the center, and this will be surrounded by two increasingly larger ovals. Then, draw a curved line above this eye section.
The back of the head will be drawn using a simple curved line, and the front of the head will also be drawn with a curved one.
This line will curve sharply inwards to create the nose of the shark, and we will also add two nostrils. Finish off by drawing the distinctive fin on top of the head, and then we can move on!
Step 2 – Now, draw a fin and some more of the head
In this step of our guide on how to draw a cartoon shark, we will draw the pectoral fin and some more of the head and face. The pectoral fins are the fins that come from the sides of the body.
This one we are drawing will be made up of curved lines that have a pointy tip at the end.
Once this fin is drawn, we will add some more details to the face. There will be a wavy line that will start above the nose, move past the eye and then curve at the end.
Step 3 – Next, draw the open mouth and more of the body
The shark that we are drawing here has a large, open mouth that will be showing off his teeth later. For now, we will be drawing the open mouth itself before we add any teeth details.
You can draw the open mouth using a rounded line coming down from the open mouth, and then we will add a curved lip underneath it.
Finally for this step, we will draw the belly of the shark, and this will connect to the wavy line you drew on the face in the previous step.
Step 4 – Now, draw the rest of the body outline
Before we add some finer details to your cartoon shark drawing, we will first finish off the outline of the body and fins. The body gets a lot thinner as you move towards the tailfin.
The tailfin itself fans outwards with some curved lines, and there will be some more sharp tips at the ends.
Then, we will draw one more pectoral fin. This one will poke out to the right from the side of the mouth. Then, you will be ready to add some final details in the next step of the guide!
Step 5 – Add the final details to your drawing
If there’s one thing this shark needs, it’s some sharp teeth! That is exactly what we will be adding in this step of our guide on how to draw a cartoon shark.
First, we will draw three curved gills onto the side of the head. Then we can draw those teeth! Each tooth will be drawn individually, and they will be rounded with sharp tips extending inward.
The base of each tooth won’t quite touch the sides of the mouth, as this will make it look like they are embedded in the gums.
Once you have drawn these teeth and gills, all that remains is to draw any extra fun details you may like!
Perhaps you could draw an ocean background filled with other cartoon creatures. What ideas do you have to finish this off?
Bonus: Try Out These Extra Tips For Your Cartoon Shark Drawing
We had a great time working on this drawing of a cartoon shark with you, and we hope you had fun too! We’ve still got one step to go, but we wanted to add a little bonus step for anyone that struggled with this drawing.
Even though it is a fairly simple cartoon shark, there are still some tricky details to portray. For example, the teeth and mouth are pretty tricky to draw.
If you struggled with any part of this drawing, don’t distress! First of all, we would recommend just keep trying and practicing until it feels easier and more achievable.
However, sometimes no matter how much you try you simply cannot get the hang of how to draw something. This can happen to the greatest artists, so you shouldn’t feel ashamed of it.
If you struggled with the teeth for instance, then they could be simplified to make it easier. You would be able to maintain the design while doing this.
If you can’t find a way to make the teeth easier to draw, then you could simply draw his mouth completely closed. It would look just as good and make your drawing more unique.
Of course, the teeth are just an example, and you could apply this to any other details you struggled with. Simplifying the design is never a bad thing to do.
Using real pictures of various shark species can also help you as you draw, as it can give you a better idea of the proportions and details. If you use pencils to create some preliminary sketches, then that can help you to overcome any difficulties.
While you’re at it, you could also add some of your own details and additional characters!
Step 6 – Finish off your drawing with color
Now it’s time to complete your drawing with some color! In our reference image, we went with various shades of blues for the outer areas of the body.
Then, we used light greys and beige colors for the inner portions. Finally, we used some pink for the tongue and light reds for the gums.
These are the colors we chose for this shark, but now you can show off which colors you think would best suit it!
You could use any colors you like to bring this shark to life, and you can also experiment with various art tools and mediums to achieve these colors. We look forward to seeing what you go for!
Do this to take your cartoon shark drawing to the next level
Sink your teeth into these awesome tips we have for your cartoon shark sketch!
This drawing of a cartoon shark we created looks cool on its own, but it would look even better with some company! There are so many fun characters that could be added to this composition.
For the first one, we think it would be fun to add a human character to the image. This could be a diver that is blissfully unaware that they have encountered a fearsome shark.
Or, you could have a small submarine or another submersible that the cartoon shark is fascinated by.
Another way that you could populate this picture would be to add some other kinds of ocean life. Once again, there are loads of ways that you could do this.
One would be to add another shark or two to hang out with this one. If you don’t want to add more sharks, then you could add any other kinds of ocean creatures you like.
These could be big or small, and you could create some interesting scenes depending on how you show these additional creatures reacting to this cartoon shark.
We love the design of this cartoon shark drawing, but you could create some interesting contrasts by showing different styles that this shark could be drawn in.
For example, maybe you could find a photo of a real shark that is in a relatively similar design to this one. Then, you could draw a more realistic one next to the cartoon shark we made in this guide.
What are some other art styles you could play with?
No matter which of these tips you do or do not use for your cartoon shark sketch, you could bring it all together with a fun background.
You would have so many fun options for different backgrounds! You could simply show the ocean floor with some plants or small fish, or you could add some buried treasure or a sunken ship.
These are just a few ideas, but there are many more!
Your Cartoon Shark Drawing is Complete!
Sharks may have a bit of a bad reputation, but we hope you enjoyed capturing this lighthearted take on this fearsome predator!
This design is full of fun and character, and there are some great details to draw. Just because it was done in a cartoony style doesn’t mean that this was an easy drawing, though!
We hope that these steps showed you how easy it can be when you know what to do.
Now you can add some more of your own ideas, details and extra elements to bring this drawing to life.
We mentioned drawing an ocean background as one idea, but there are many other ways to put your own spin on this picture.
Then, when you’re ready for more you can visit our website for many more awesome drawing guides to enjoy! We plan to release many more soon, so keep checking in to never miss out.
It would be amazing to see how your cartoon shark drawing turned out, so please share it on our Facebook and Pinterest pages so we can see how great it looks!
