Hello, and welcome to another ten-step tutorial by Emily Drawing! Today’s tutorial is all about drawing the narwhal! We will take you through nine simple steps to draw this amazing creature.
Narwhals are known as the “Unicorns of The Sea,” and they feature a torpedo-shaped body with a small, round head. They have small flippers and convex to concave tail flukes. In addition, these sea animals have jointed neck vertebrae for greater flexibility. Instead of a dorsal fin, narwhals have a dorsal ridge.
Adult narwhals measure anywhere from 9.8 feet to 18 feet long, and they weigh anywhere between 1,800 pounds and 3,500 pounds. Male narwhals can grow as big as 15.7 feet long and 3,527.4 pounds, making them bigger than female narwhals.
Male narwhals are known for their tusks. The tusk looks like a horn, but it’s actually a canine tooth. The tooth grows in a spiral out of the upper left jaw. While this isn’t the case for most female narwhals, you may be surprised to find that about 15% of them do have a tusk.
Narwhals are blue-gray when they’re babies, and they turn blue-black as they grow older. As adults, they’re light grey with dark markings, and old narwhals are nearly all white. A narwhal’s average lifespan is 30 to 40 years, and narwhals in the wild can live up to 50 years. Amazingly, some narwhals are over 100 years old!
Narwhals are wonderful sea animals that have survived for many years. Plus, they’re so cute! Now, it’s time to get to the tutorial. Grab your colored pencils or markers, and get ready to learn how to draw this sea animal.
Materials:
- a piece of paper
- a pencil for the guiding lines and sketching
- an eraser
- a black sharpie or a pen for the outlines
- markers or colored pencils for coloring
- our printable drawing guide (Join my Email List below to get this Tutorial)
Here are my RECOMMENDED Art Supplies!
- Crayola Coloring Set (140 Pieces – Mega Value!)
- 24 Colored Crayon Set
- A4 Printer Paper
- Crayola Coloring Pencils
- HP Home Printer with Instant Ink!
Time needed:
15 minutes.
How to Draw a Narwhal — Let’s get started!
Step 1 – Draw The Narwhal’s Body.
Drawing the narwhal’s body is pretty easy because it’s just one shape. You’ll leave a small space open for the next step. Did you know that narwhals have a sensory organ in their head? It’s called a melon, and it’s used for echolocation and communication.
Step 2 – Draw The Narwhal’s Front Flipper.
The next step is to draw the narwhal’s front flipper, which is connected to the space you left open in the previous step. Narwhals have short, round flippers with edges that are curled upward.
Step 3 – Draw The Narwhal’s First Tail Fin.
Now, you’re going to draw the narwhal’s first tail fin on the end of the body. You only need to add the tail fin to one side for this step. Use this step as another way to practice your curved lines and round shapes, as the fin is only a small portion of the picture.
Step 4 – Draw The Narwhal’s Second Tail Fin.
Next, you’ll draw the narwhal’s second tail fin. It’s next to the first fin, on the other side of the body. You can mimic the first tail fin, just ensure this fin is facing the opposite direction.
Step 5 – Draw The Narwhal’s Tusk.
It’s time to draw the most notifiable part of the narwhal’s body: its tusk! You’ll draw the tusk on the narwhal’s head, and from the side, it may look like a nose in this picture. Fun fact: The tusk can grow up to 8.53 feet long.
Step 6 – Draw The Narwhal’s Face.
This part is both easy and fun: drawing the narwhal’s face. We’ve decided to add a dot for an eye and a smile to create a happy, adorable character. Remember, this is a side view of the narwhal, so you won’t be drawing its full face.
Step 7 – Draw The Narwhal’s Markings.
Next, you’ll add the markings to the narwhal’s back, which look like spots of different sizes. The age of your narwhal determines the color of your markings. As a reminder, senior narwhals are almost all white, but they only have a few black spots. If your narwhal is a senior, you don’t need to draw as many markings.
Step 8 – Draw The Details On The Narwhal’s Tusk.
Finally, you’ll add the details to your narwhal’s tusk. The details resemble small stripes, adding texture to this horn-like area. You’re not only practicing your straight lines, but you’re also learning how to carefully add details to smaller spaces.
Step 9 – Color In Your Drawing!
You may be finished drawing the narwhal, but there’s still one more step of this “how to draw a narwhal” tutorial. It’s time to color in your whimsical creature! One idea is to try to match the color scheme we’ve chosen for our drawing page. We’ve opted to color a gray body with light gray markings. With its gray body, you could think of this narwhal as an adult. We’re thinking of it as a precious baby narwhal. After all, who doesn’t want to draw and color an adorable baby sea animal? Of course, you’re welcome to color the narwhal any color you want. Choose a scheme that matches your narwhal’s age or create an original character with unique colors. Be sure to color the background of your picture as well! You may want to create a realistic spot for your narwhal, or maybe you want to choose a fantasy-like land for this “Unicorn of The Sea!” The idea is to have fun with the tutorial!
Pin it now, Draw later!
We’ve just completed this how-to-draw a narwhal tutorial together. Did you have a great time drawing this amazing sea creature? Are you looking to draw other animals and characters? Be sure to browse through the tutorials on our site. You can find a range of easy-to-follow drawing tutorials!
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