How to Draw a Shark

click the image to enlarge

1. Draw a simple spindle-shaped trunk. Yes, the body. The shape is a perfect fuselage, similar to a real aircraft.

click the image to enlarge

2. Generally, every shark has 3 basic distinctive features, how they are being recognized from other sea creatures. These are the First Dorsal Fin, the Pectoral Fin, and the tail AKA Caudal Fin.

So when a shark appears somewhere nearby the shore or beach, the first most visible thing is the First Dorsal Fin and maybe Caudal Fin.

Draw these 3 features plus mouth, and you have your shark almost ready. Yes, it’s that simple.

click the image to enlarge

3. Draw gills, the eyes, and the smaller fins on the rear (tail) part of the trunk. The gills are usually 5 slit openings between the shark mouth and the Pectoral Fin. OK, so far, this was a simplified demonstration of how to draw a shark in less than a minute.

click the image to enlarge

4. On the following picture is the basic structure and proportions of the shark’s body. Before you start your shark drawing, note carefully the position and size of the fins.

Observe these basics carefully and you’ll easily learn how to draw sharks almost instantly. Draw this picture 2 or 3 times and see the results. Then you can play with it as you like and create your own shark caricatures.

Click on the image it will open in a new tab or window. Copy it as you wish and practice drawing.

click the image to enlarge

Let’s now draw a shark from a slightly different angle, as if the shark would swim right above you in the sea. First, I made an outline of the shark’s body and marked the mouth and the eyes.

click the image to enlarge

Second step, start to shade the body. Although, shark’s belly is usually light almost white color, this time I shade it dark because the shark is above and the light comes from above sea level.

Shade the body with simple pencil strokes as you see in the picture.

click the image to enlarge

Continue shading and add a more dark tone to the shark’s belly.

click the image to enlarge

Make sure that the upper half of the body is lighter in color tone because it is lightened from the top, the sea level. Draw the teeth and start to darken the mouth opening.

click the image to enlarge

While you're working on a shark’s mouth, here, try to be a little careful, just a bit precise when you shade the space among the teeth.

click the image to enlarge

Now, that you are almost ready, take a cotton swab or tissue paper and you can soften the pencil strokes if necessary. It’s up to you.

click the image to enlarge

After you outline the body start shading the shark from the top of the body. That part is always darker and the belly is usually lighter.

click the image to enlarge

The tip of the first dorsal fin and the pectoral fin is of light color, almost as if white.

click the image to enlarge

When you shade the top part of the shark make special attention to the eyes area.

Notice on the shark’s head that the border between top dark and bottom (belly) white runs just from below the eyes towards the pectoral fin.

click the image to enlarge

Again, you can soften the pencil strokes by cotton swab or by fingertip.