Step 10: Use the V-shaped line on the left as a guide to draw the elephant seal's front flipper. Basically darken the shape of the guide but make it curvier. Along the bottom edge of the flipper, draw a series of tiny circle-like shapes for the nails. Add a few tiny lines above the nails for detail on the flipper. Don't draw the top of the flipper too far inside the circle.

Step 11: Use the shape on the right as a guide to draw the seal's hind flipper. Darken the guide but make it curvier. Add a few lines on the right side for extra detail.

Step 12: Use the remaining lines as a guide to draw the rest of the body. Darken the left side of the guides to create the neck. As you darken the top of the neck, add a few curved lines along the path of the guides for the folds of skin. Now darken the outer edge of the guides to finish the shape of the elephant seal's body. As you draw the body, make sure you don't overlap the lines for the flippers. The top line should extend to the left of the initial circle and end at the top of the hind flipper. Add a few more curved lines on the left side of the neck for more wrinkles.

Step 13: Draw the visible portion of the flippers on the other side of the elephant seal's body. For the front flipper, draw a line that's similar to a less-than sign (<) on the left side of the body. For the hind flipper, draw a wavy line that's parallel to the first hind flipper.

Step 14: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Add some shading to your elephant seal drawing to give it 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 different degrees of tonal value. Add the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want.

Add even more value throughout your drawing for extra detail. Elephant seals are basically gray, so just add a medium value to the entire body. If the value you're using for the body gets too dark, just make the shadows darker too. Add the value smoothly for a wet, shiny elephant seal or add it roughly for a seal covered in sand.

Use a lighter value in a few sections near the top for highlights. You can also leave larger sections on the body blank to represent wet skin. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Use strokes that go in the same direction. If you use strokes from multiple directions, the shading might look messy. Continue shading until the elephant seal's entire body is covered in value. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the elephant seal so it doesn't appear to be floating. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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