In this lesson, you will learn how to draw an orca using simple shapes and cool digital effects that can be easily applied to any drawings. I will show you how to create a black and white creature using simple gradient fills, basic shadows and strong highlights. Let's see how we can draw a cute cartoon orca in just a few basic steps using the tutorial found below. :)
First, let's draw a large oval shape to form the body. On top of the body, add a fin using a triangle. On the bottom of the body, sketch two oval shapes to create more fins. The tail is made from a rectangle and two shape triangles.
It's now time to draw the animal using mostly long curved lines. Make sure that the fin on top is sharp and pointed while the ones on the bottom are soft and round. A circular patch is added near the eye and another patch is drawn on the bottom of the creature.
In this case, the color with need to add is black. Both patches are colored in white with some shades of gray. This drawing is a little bit hard to read, but we will work on this aspect of the drawing later in the tutorial.
For now, let's draw a few basic shadows to create more depth and volume inside this illustration. These new shapes can be colored in black. However, we need to make these shapes slightly transparent so that we can end up with a more subtle result.
Since most of the character is black, we need to add these shadows on the white areas of the creature. All new shapes can be seen below with pink outlines (a temporary color).
All dark areas on the cartoon orca are pretty hard to read. That's why it's a good idea to create reflections using white shapes to create contrast. Just like the previous shadows, these new shapes must also be partially transparent so that we will end up with a subtle result.
Below you can see the final illustration once all digital effects are added. As you can see, the black areas are now easier to read and this cartoon orca feels more realistic (and visually more interesting too).
Below you can see all steps required to learn how to draw an orca quickly and easily. I hope you had fun working on this cartoon character. Don't hesitate to try this lesson on how to illustrate a killer whale. It is featuring a simple video to guide you through the drawing process. Another fun version featuring a killer whale made from squares and triangles is also available. Have fun drawing and remember to practice as often as possible. :)
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