In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Shark (Great White) step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

To draw this Great White Shark step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

Materials You’ll Need

Before starting, gather these basic drawing supplies:

• Pencil (an HB lead pencil is best for light sketches)
• Eraser
• Black ink pen or marker
• Drawing paper
• Colored pencils or markers

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Start with Simple Lines and Shapes

Step 1: Draw a thin, long oval as a guide for the great white shark's body.

Step 2: Draw an angled line that's similar to an arrow on the left side of the oval as a guide for the shark's head.

Keep Building the Animal Slowly

Step 3: Draw a triangle that points to the left on the opposite side of the oval for the shark's caudal fin or tail.

Step 4: Draw a couple of lines that connect the caudal fin to the shark's body.

Step 5: Draw the great white shark's dorsal and pectoral fins, which are basically triangles on the top and bottom of the oval.

Finish Up the "Skeleton"

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

Now Add Details

Step 6: Draw a small circle on the left of the oval for the shark's eye and shade it in.

Step 7: Draw a tiny curved line below and to the left of the eye for the great white shark's nose.

Step 8: Draw the shark's head and mouth. As you draw the head, curve the line toward the right to create the mouth. Add the lower jaw and tiny triangles within it for the teeth.

Step 9: Tighten the shape of the shark's dorsal and pectoral fins by making them rounder as you darken them.

Stay Patient and Keep Drawing - You're Almost There!

Step 10: Using the triangle as a guide, tighten the shark's caudal fin as well. Make sure it dips inward at the center.

Step 11: Draw the shark's second dorsal, the anal and the pelvic fins too. These look like small triangles with rounded tops.

Step 12: Using the main oval as a guide, darken in the rest of the great white shark's body.

Step 13: On the top, left side of the pectoral fin, draw a few vertical lines for the shark's gills.

Step 14: Draw a line across the great white's body to represent the shark's countershading (the split in color from the top and bottom).

Step 15 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of them. It's okay to leave some behind.

Now It's Time to Shade

Final Step (optional): Add some shading to give your great white shark drawing more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get varying degrees of tonal value.

Great white sharks are actually gray, so you can add a darker value to your drawing for more detail. It's a good idea to use reference to be as accurate as possible. You can leave a portion near the top of the body unshaded to represent underwater sheen.

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