Sharks are cool ocean creatures. You may have seen them in movies like Finding Nemo and Shark Tale.
They are magnificent fish, the ruler of the sea. You can create your own shark by following these easy drawing steps.
You’ll need paper, a soft pencil (HB) for sketching, a hard pencil (2B-4B) for drawing, and colored pencils if you want to add color. If drawing digitally, use any app you like.
I’ll use Procreate on my iPad for my shark drawing, but you can follow along with Krita, Medibang, ibisPaint, Clip Studio Paint, or other drawing apps.
Table of Contents
Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Draw a Shark 🦈
Step 1: Draw the Basic Shapes of the Shark

First, draw the basic shapes of the shark. If you are drawing traditionally, use a soft pencil (HB). You need to sketch the basic outlines of the shark.
Start thinking about what 2D or 3D shapes you can use to draw your shark. A shark is a fish with a long body, so you can draw either a long rectangle or two trapezoids for the body. I choose two trapezoids for the shark body.
For the shark head, draw a triangle facing right from the body.
Then, draw two triangles on the body for the dorsal and pectoral fin of the shark.
Lastly, draw two triangles for the shark tail.
After drawing all the basic shapes, check the proportions. Ensure that the body, head, and fin have the correct proportions.
You can follow my example of how I draw the basic outlines of the shark.
Step 2: Draw the Shark’s Upper Head and Eye

Now, start drawing the shark head. From the triangle, draw the upper head by following the triangle. Make it rounder than the triangle you have drawn.
Then, draw the eye below the upper head of the shark. For the eyes, I draw the circle for the shark eye, then the line for eyelashes cutting through the eyes.
This will make the shark look menacing, as you can see above.
Step 3: Draw the Shark’s Lower Head and Mouth

Draw the shark’s lower head from the basic shapes of a triangle. At the middle of the head, make a curved line to the center of the head.
The line will be used for the shark’s mouth. Then, turn the curved line back to the lower head. Between the upper and lower mouth, connect them together to finish the shark lip.
Follow my example if you’re confused about how to draw the shark’s mouth.
Finish the lower head of the shark and head into the next step.
Step 4: Draw the shark’s lower fin and gills

Now, draw the shark’s lower fin (pectoral fin) by continuing the line from the lower head to the triangle at the body.
I drew the shark’s lower wing not in a triangle shape but with a curve at the left part to make it look cooler.
After drawing the lower fin, draw the gills by drawing three curved lines to the right above the lower fin.
Draw a smooth, slightly curved line from the lower fin tip that dips down towards the corner of the mouth. Make the line straight and gentle; it should mimic the natural transition between the body and the head.
Step 5: Draw the Upper fin

Starting from the upper point where the head and body meet, draw a straight line upwards for a short distance. This forms the leading edge of the upper fin.
From the end of the straight line, extend another line downwards at a slight angle for a moderate distance, creating the upper edge of the fin.
Then, connect this point back to the base of the head with a straight line, completing the triangular shape of the upper fin. Remember, maintain a slightly steeper angle than the lower fin for a natural look.
Return to the point where the lower fin ends on the body. From there, draw a smooth, slightly curved line upwards following the contour of the shark’s belly.
Step 6: Draw the secondary fin and finish the body

Sharks have secondary fins at the back of their bodies.
On the midpoint between the upper fin and the tail, draw a smaller triangular shape similar to the upper fin but slightly shorter and tilted backward. This represents the second dorsal fin.
Then, in two points, one slightly behind the lower fin base and the other somewhat farther back under the second dorsal fin.
From each point, draw two short, angled lines downwards to create the triangular shapes of the pelvic fins. Remember, these fins should be smaller than the upper and lower fins.
Continue the line past both fins, gradually tapering it as it approaches the tail. This completes the basic shape of the shark’s body.
Step 7: Draw the tail

Starting from the end of the body line, draw the upper and lower contours of the tail.
For the shape, you can choose between a symmetrical or forked tail.
Both are good choices for the shark tail.
Ensure a smooth transition from the body to the tail. Add details like subtle ridges and curves along the tail’s edge and a slight notch at the center of the upper lobe for realism.
Step 8: Color Your Shark Drawing

Your shark drawing is finished.
Now you can color it. If you drew it on paper, use colored pencils or markers to color your shark. If you draw it digitally, you can paint it with the fill tool to color the shark.
I chose a dark blue and grayish blue to color the shark. For the mouth, I chose pink and whitish gray for the teeth and white part of the eye.
If you want to learn more about drawing animals quickly using my method, check out these tutorials: