How to Draw a Shark

Last Updated: June 1, 2022 Tested

Are you looking to draw a shark that is a little beyond your artistic abilities? Follow these quick, easy steps and learn how to draw a simple shark, a cartoon shark, a bull shark or even a sand tiger shark.

Watch our step by step video here!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Method One: Drawing a Cartoon Shark

1
Draw a circle. Below the circle, draw a curved line extending to the left with a cone shaped end.
2
Draw a pointed angle on the right side of the circle.

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3
Sketch a "fishtail" on the bottom of the drawing using angled shapes.
4
Draw the shark’s fins. These are characterized by being pointy and slightly curved.
5
Draw the shark’s nostrils and the eyes using an egg-like shape. Add a curved line for the eyebrows. Real sharks do not have big eyes like these but it's okay to use your imagination for cartoon versions.
6
Draw the shark’s mouth. Sharks are known to have really sharp teeth, you can draw its teeth using triangles.
7
Sketch out the shark’s body from the outline.
8
Darken the fins and tail.
9
Draw the shark’s gill slits using three curved lines. For a cartoon shark, you can divide the body into the posterior and anterior parts using a line straight across the body.
10
Erase unnecessary lines.
11
Color the drawing.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Method Two: Drawing a Simple Shark

1
Draw a triangle with the pointed angle facing the right. Stretch out the triangle by elongating the shape using two not so straight lines across and end it with a vertical line. At the left side of the drawing, draw a curved triangle with the pointed angle facing downwards.
2
Draw the shark’s fins using triangles. The shark has pectoral fins, dorsal fins and anal fins.
3
Add the tail using slender angles pointing towards opposite directions.
4
Using the outline and sketch the shark’s head. Add the eyes, nostrils and mouth.
5
Darken the lines for the fins and tail.
6
Darken the lines of the shark’s body based on the outline.
7
Add five lines on the side of the shark for its gill slits. Divide the shark into anterior and posterior part usually because of its color. The posterior part is darker in shade. Divide the drawing using slanted strokes right across the shark’s body.
8
Erase unnecessary lines.
9
Color the drawing.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Method Three: A Bull Shark

1
Draw an oblong for the midsection of the shark.
2
Draw a sharp curve on the left part of the oblong drawn previously for the head section.
3
Draw a longer curve on the opposite side to make the body.
4
Draw angled curves to make the fin outlines.
5
Draw a long angled sharp curve with another smaller curve the bottom for the tail fin.
6
Draw curves for the mouth and gills; Add a circle near the mouth and edge of the head for the eyes.
7
Based on the outline, draw the whole shark
8
Erase the unnecessary outlines.
9
Color your bull shark!

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Method Four: A Sand Tiger Shark (Front View)

1
Draw an arc with a sharp corner for the head.
2
Draw a moon shape for the mouth and add thin needle like shapes inside the mouth for the teeth.
3
Draw a curve connected at one end to complete the body outline of the shark.
4
Draw angled curves to make the fin outlines.
5
Draw a long angled sharp curve with another smaller curve the bottom for the tail fin.
6
Based on the outline, draw the whole shark (add eyes and curves on the body of the sand tiger shark)
7
Erase the unnecessary outlines.
8
Color your sand tiger shark!

Community Q&A

Question

What color does the top of my shark have to be?

Community Answer

Grey, blue or black would be fine. You can also shade the top if you are making a sketch.
Question

How can I draw huge sharks like megalodon?

Community Answer

Focus on the body shape and curves. Look at pictures and try to mimic this. Zoom in on it and make these details bigger. Also, even little color details such as cream teeth make a difference in the overall painting.
Question

How do I make the shark look real?

Community Answer

Sketch it and smudge it and use different shades with your pencil to add details.