How to draw a humpback whale with a pencil step-by-step drawing tutorial
- ImagiDraw

- Nov 1, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 6, 2023
Today, in our drawing tutorial, we will learn to draw a whale. Specifically, we will look at how to draw a humpback whale.
The humpback whale is rather large. Its length reaches 17-18 meters, and the maximum recorded weight is 48 tons. The humpback whale differs from other striped whales in the characteristic shape and color of the body, the shape of the dorsal fin, the size of the pectoral fins, large "warts" on the snout and at the ends of the pectoral fins, and the uneven edge of the caudal fin. The body of a humpback whale is shortened and dense, expanded in the anterior part, thinned and laterally compressed in the posterior part.

Step 1. Outline the head and the front flipper of our whale.
Start by outlining the head of the humpback whale and its flipper. Also mark the position of its eye. In the drawing below, we also added a few lines to show the whale is swimming in the ocean. You can skip these lines if you would like for now.

Step 2. Outline the back of the whale, its tale, and mouth.
In this step, we add the lines to outline the rest of the whale's body, its tail. We also add a line to denote its mouth and they upper part of the eye.

Step 3. Draw the humpback whale in more detail.
Now that we outlined the shape of the whale's body and head, we continue to finesse the little details. Draw its tail and flippers. Then draw out the whale's eye. You will also want to denote the line separating the upper part of the whale from its belly.

Step 4. Draw out the humpback's head in detail.
Draw the eye of the whale. Then draw the baleen in its mouth that substitutes teeth in whales and is used to filter krill. Lastly, draw the ventral pleats on the bottom of the whale that reach all the way to its bottom jaw.

Step 5. Shading and hatching the humpback whale's drawing.
In the last step, apply coloring to the top of the whale as well as shading its bottom.

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This tutorial is so helpful for drawing whales step by step! It reminds me of how I use step-by-step guides for puzzles too, like when I check out pixel flow skills for game tips. Thanks for sharing!
This whale drawing tutorial was super easy to follow! I love how you broke down each step, especially the shading part. If anyone wants more creative inspiration, the <a href="https://aurafarmprompt.org/">free Aura Farm Prompts Gallery</a> has awesome AI art prompts and images that might spark new drawing ideas.
This tutorial is so helpful for drawing whales! It makes me think of creating pixel art versions too. For that, I'd use the Square Face Generator to make cute avatars easily. Thanks for sharing!
This is a fantastic step-by-step guide! The humpback whale’s unique proportions—especially those large pectoral fins—can be quite a challenge to get right. I find that when I’m following detailed tutorials or working on complex digital projects, keeping track of every step is crucial so nothing gets lost. It’s similar to how I manage my CZN Save Data during intense gaming sessions; I use a calculator to ensure the system doesn't auto-prune my progress while I'm focused on the details. Just as precision matters in drawing a 48-ton whale, it matters in data management too. Thanks for the artistic inspiration!