Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Seal Pup (Harp Seal)" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

Written step-by-step video tutorial:

 

Step 1: Draw a big circle on the left side of the paper as a guide for the harp seal pup's head. First make four small marks to indicate its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly so it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. But the circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. If you're struggling drawing the circle, trace the outer rim of a glass, a lid or any other object with a circular edge.

 

Step 2: Draw a horizontal line across the head to help you add the harp seal's facial features later. Add a curved vertical line on the top, left side of the head for another construction line.

 

Step 3: Draw a small oval below the horizontal construction line as a guide for the seal pup's muzzle. Pay attention to the size and placement of this small circle in relation to the rest of the head.

 

Step 4: Draw the guide for the front part of the body by first making a small mark below the head. Then connect the small mark to the head using curved lines to create a big, circle-like shape. This shape should be a lot bigger than the head, and it should be off to the right side a bit.

 

Step 5: Now add the guide for the back portion of the harp seal pup's body by first making a mark far off on the right side. Then connect the small mark to the front of the body using curved lines to create a big arc. The farther to the right you made the initial mark, the longer the body will be.

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Step 6: Draw a smaller arc on the lower, left side of the seal's body as a guide for the first front flipper. Draw this arc the same way. Make a small mark first, then connect it to the body using curved lines. Draw another small arc on the bottom, closer to the middle of the body, as a guide for the second front flipper.

 

Step 7: Draw a final small, thin arc on the right side of the body as a guide for the harp seal pup's hind flippers.

 

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

 

Step 8: Lightly sketch the eyes inside the seal pup's head as two small circles. Use the initial lines as guides for size and placement of the eyes. When you get the size and placement right, darken the lines. Inside each eye, draw a couple of tiny circles to represent glare.

Shade the harp seal's eyes using a dark value. As you shade the eyes, make sure to not overlap the tiny circles. Add a couple of curved lines around each eye for a bit of bare skin. Don't draw these lines too far away from the eyes. Shade this bit of skin as well using a dark value.

 

Step 9: Inside the muzzle, lightly sketch an oval for the nose. When you get the shape and placement right, darken the top by using short strokes. Darken the sides and draw a curved, vertical line through the middle. Make the bottom part longer so that it will connect to the mouth. Add two thin slits inside the shape and shade them in for the nostrils. Shade in the rest of the seal's nose too. As you shade, use a value that's only slightly darker than the nostrils.

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Step 10: Draw a long horizontal line under the nose for the harp seal pup's mouth. Make the line thicker and darker and curve the ends up a bit. Add some value to the section where the nose meets the mouth. Use the initial oval shape as a guide to draw the rest of the muzzle. Darken the basic path of the oval using short strokes for a fur-like texture. Add a short, curved line at the bottom using more short strokes for the chin. Add some squiggly lines on the sides of the muzzle for extra detail and whiskers too if you'd like.

 

Step 11: Use the main circle as a guide to draw the rest of the harp seal's head. Draw a series of short strokes along the edge of the circle for a fur-like texture. Make each stroke short, otherwise the fur will be too long. Don't add fur to the lower, right side of the head because that's where it connects to the body.

 

Step 12: Use the small arc at the bottom as a guide to draw the seal pup's front flipper. Use short strokes along the path of the arc to create a fur-like texture. Extend the tips of the shape upward to make the top part of the flipper longer. Add a few more lines at the front of the flipper to separate the individual toes. Add a short, thick line at the tip of each toe for a hint of a claw.

 

Step 13: Use the small arc on the left side as a guide to draw the other front flipper the same way. Use short strokes along the path of the guide to create the harp seal pup's furry flipper. Don't forget to add a few short lines at the front for the digits!

 

Step 14: Use the bigger shapes as guides to draw the rest of the seal's body. Use quick, short strokes along the outer edge of the guides to create the furry shape of the body. Use a flat line for the bottom of the body because the fur won't be standing up there.

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Step 15: Use the small arc on the right side as a guide to draw the seal pup's hind flippers. Follow the basic path of the guide as you draw the shape of the hind flipper and add the lines for the digits too. Add another curved line at the top for the seal's other hind flipper peeking from behind.

 

Step 16: 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. You can also LIGHTLY erase some of the final lines so that the white pup doesn't have thick outlines. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

 

Final Step: Add some shading to your harp seal pup 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.

As you shade, use strokes that go in the general direction of the fur. Harp seal pups are all-white, so the shadows will be the only value you add to the body. You can add as much or as little shading as you'd like. You can also skip this step entirely. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks.

Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the seal pup so it doesn't appear to be floating. It's always a good idea to use reference when you draw. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

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To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

 

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