From sketching your own cartoon shark to painting a realistic great white shark, dive in for tips on how to create detailed shark drawings.
Image by Terry Whitlatch
Sharks are studied in great detail by biologists who spend years researching specific types of sharks. To draw one, you should approach your research and observation in a similar way. Whether your goal is drawing a whale shark, bull shark, prehistoric megalodon, or even a trendy baby shark, an ocean of options is available: over 400 different species of shark to be exact. All sharks have slightly different features, so choose the type of shark you want to draw and pay attention to the details.
A hammerhead shark has a very different head shape from that of a tiger shark or a great white. Studying detailed examples of your preferred species will help you see its unique characteristics. To successfully capture distinct shapes, intricate skin details, and the exact shape of those razor sharp teeth, you have to examine them closely.
With the exception of a local aquarium visit, observing these fish in person may not be a possibility. Thankfully, an endless supply of reference materials exists, like books, photos, models, or even toys. You can explore thousands of reference images with resources like Adobe Stock.
Begin by drawing a rough initial sketch of the shark's body. “The body is like a spindle or a teardrop laid on its side,” says artist Terryl Whitlatch. “This goes for all sharks. The curved lines of the body create a spindle shape with one end slightly wider than the other end. The slightly wider end is the shark’s head and the narrower end is the tail.”
Sharks also have what's called a lateral line that runs from the gills to the end of the tail. It’s visible on the side of the body. “The lateral line is really important when you draw any fish,” says Whitlatch. “It’s a sensory organ that helps keep the shark oriented in the water, so it knows what's up, what's down, and what’s sideways.” Add this element to your drawing to make it as realistic as possible. You can also add a thicker line in various places to give more weight to any area of the body.
When you set up a new canvas in Adobe Fresco, you can place your reference photos right next to your digital drawing and painting area. Learn how to add and work in layers, a great way to use reference images, in this step-by-step Adobe Fresco tutorial.
Image by Yellena James
Image by Terry Whitlatch
Sharks, most often seen in water, will look more natural when you use color. Cartoonist Scoot McMahon says that even a little bit of color and shading can help give great dimension to any scene. “Adding shadows, such as a thicker line on the dorsal fin, helps give the illusion of movement so the viewer gets the feeling that things are moving in front and behind.”
Everyone has a favorite medium and different ways of using color. Some people like to use watercolors or markers, while others like to do it digitally by breaking out the digital brushes in Adobe Fresco. In the app, you can use the Eyedropper tool to select multiple colors at once and expand your color swatches beyond the basics. “With the Eyedropper tool, I can easily fill the screen and play with adding gradients,” says McMahon. “I’ll pick the same color, then darken it up, and create a new layer in case I don't like how the gradient looks later.”
You can also extract colors and gradients from your reference photo to create your own custom color palette. Then save your under-the-sea color themes to use anytime in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe Fresco. Nature has no perfectly smooth colors, so feel free to explore different color textures and schemes. Just let the paint do what it will and see where it takes you.
Image by Scoot McMahon
Create an underwater world.
To draw a shark in action, swimming in different undersea environments, check out photos of sharks in motion, eating, breaching, or interacting with other fish. Your environment can tell a story, and it can dictate how your shark will look or what it will be doing. Draw the background first or have one in mind to inform your shark drawing. This works for any type of shark illustration, cartoon to realistic or whatever you dream up.
“Because I’m drawing an underwater cartoon character, it’s fun to use brushes,” says McMahon. “Photoshop has some good pencil-like texture brushes. I use the Kyle ultimate pencil (hard) to do my sketching.”
Image by Scoot McMahon
With one shark drawing down, you have about 399 other species to practice on. Or you can take your chosen species, continue perfecting its look, and even place it in different situations, actions, and environments. Once you feel good about your progress, try your hand at a land animal by drawing a horse, or spread your wings and sketch a bird.
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