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Jellyfish Drawing Reference: Bell Outline and Flowing Tentacles
Learn to draw a jellyfish with a smooth bell dome, flowing tentacles, and simple shading. Includes stroke practice, a worked example, and four self-contained exercises.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Object Drawing Lessons
This reference teaches a clear, repeatable method for drawing a jellyfish: first the bell outline, then flowing tentacles, then shading to suggest a soft dome. The focus is on construction and line flow, not realistic anatomy or underwater scenes. You will use a simple convention: x-height means the distance from the baseline to the midline of a letter, and letter styles vary, so your own handwriting is fine. All measurements are in centimeters unless noted. Bell measurements in this reference mean bell height (top of the dome to the bottom edge) unless a task explicitly says bell width. Any numerical values are hypothetical examples; measure your own paper and tools. The planned printable resources are described at the end but are not yet built.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Bell Outline Construction
Start with a light vertical center line about 8 cm long. Mark a top point and a bottom point. The bell is a dome: rounded at the top and gently widening toward the bottom edge. Draw a shallow arc from the top point to the left side, then mirror it to the right. The bottom edge is a gentle curve, not a straight line. Keep the outline smooth by moving your whole arm, not just your wrist.
Check symmetry by folding the paper lightly or by measuring equal distances from the center line at three heights. Adjust before darkening. The bell should look like a soft umbrella, not a circle or a triangle.
- Draw a light center line 8 cm long.
- Mark top and bottom points.
- Sketch left and right dome arcs from the top point.
- Draw a gentle bottom curve connecting the sides.
- Check symmetry at three heights and adjust.
Flowing Tentacle Strokes
Tentacles flow downward with gentle S-curves. Begin each tentacle at the bottom edge of the bell. Use a continuous stroke: start at the bell, curve outward, then inward, then outward again. Vary lengths: some short (3 cm), some medium (6 cm), some long (9 cm). Keep spacing uneven but balanced. Thin tentacles can be single lines; thicker ones can be two parallel lines with a rounded tip.
Practice stroke flow on scrap paper: draw five S-curves side by side without lifting the pencil. The goal is smooth, confident lines. If a line wobbles, redraw it lighter and smoother rather than erasing repeatedly.
- Mark tentacle start points along the bell bottom.
- Draw one continuous S-curve per tentacle.
- Vary lengths using 3, 6, and 9 cm examples.
- Keep spacing uneven but balanced.
- Add a second parallel line for thicker tentacles.
Shading the Bell Dome
Shading suggests a soft, rounded dome. Choose a light source, for example from the upper left. The upper left of the bell stays light; the lower right becomes gradually darker. Use light pencil strokes that follow the curve of the dome. Build darkness in two or three layers rather than pressing hard once. Leave a thin highlight along the top edge.
For tentacles, shade only the thicker ones with a light line along one side. Keep shading simple and consistent. The goal is a soft gradient, not a realistic rendering.
- Choose a light source direction.
- Shade the side opposite the light in light layers.
- Follow the dome curve with your strokes.
- Leave a thin highlight near the top edge.
- Add light side shading to thicker tentacles only.
Variation and Layout
Vary tentacle lengths and bell width to create different jellyfish. A wider bell (10 cm wide) with short tentacles looks compact; a narrower bell (6 cm wide) with long tentacles looks flowing. Keep the bell outline smooth and the tentacle strokes continuous. Place the jellyfish centered on the page with space below for long tentacles.
Use the planned blank panels to draw three variations: one compact, one flowing, one with mixed tentacle thickness. Label each variation with a short note about what changed.
- Draw a compact variation with a wide bell and short tentacles.
- Draw a flowing variation with a narrow bell and long tentacles.
- Draw a mixed variation with thick and thin tentacles.
- Label each variation with one change note.
Worked example
Draw a jellyfish with an 8 cm bell and five tentacles of lengths 3, 6, 9, 6, and 3 cm. Use a light source from the upper left and shade the lower right of the bell.
Worked answer
A centered jellyfish with a smooth dome bell 8 cm tall, a gentle bottom curve, and five S-curve tentacles alternating short, medium, long, medium, short. The upper left of the bell is light with a thin highlight; the lower right has two light shading layers following the dome curve. Thicker tentacles have a light side shade.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
Draw a jellyfish with a 6 cm bell and four tentacles of lengths 4, 7, 7, and 4 cm. Use a light source from the upper right.
Show answer and check
A centered jellyfish with a smooth 6 cm dome bell, four S-curve tentacles in the order 4, 7, 7, 4 cm, and shading on the lower left of the bell.
Why: The bell is drawn first with a center line and checked for symmetry. Tentacles start at the bottom edge and flow downward with continuous S-curves. Shading is opposite the light source in light layers.
Check: Measure the bell height (6 cm) and tentacle lengths (4, 7, 7, 4 cm). Check that shading is on the lower left and that tentacles are smooth S-curves.
Exercise 2
Draw a jellyfish with a bell 10 cm wide and 8 cm tall, and six tentacles: three thick (two parallel lines) and three thin (single line). Vary lengths between 3 and 8 cm.
Show answer and check
A jellyfish with a wide smooth dome bell 10 cm wide and 8 cm tall, six tentacles alternating thick and thin, lengths varied between 3 and 8 cm, and light shading on the bell opposite a chosen light source.
Why: A wider bell needs a gentle bottom curve to avoid a flat line. Thick tentacles use two parallel lines with rounded tips; thin ones use single lines. Alternating thickness creates balance.
Check: Count six tentacles and confirm three are thick and three are thin. Measure lengths within 3 to 8 cm. Check the bell is about 10 cm wide and 8 cm tall and that the outline is smooth.
Exercise 3
Draw two jellyfish side by side: one compact (bell 8 cm tall and 10 cm wide, short tentacles 3 to 5 cm) and one flowing (bell 6 cm tall and 6 cm wide, long tentacles 7 to 10 cm). Shade both with a light source from the top.
Show answer and check
Two centered jellyfish: left compact with a wider bell (8 cm tall, 10 cm wide) and short tentacles; right flowing with a narrower bell (6 cm tall, 6 cm wide) and long tentacles. Both have light shading on the lower half of the bell.
Why: Varying bell width and tentacle length changes the character. A top light source means shading is on the lower half. Keep both outlines smooth and tentacles continuous.
Check: Measure bell heights (8 cm and 6 cm), bell widths (10 cm and 6 cm), and tentacle ranges (3 to 5 cm and 7 to 10 cm). Check shading is on the lower half of both bells and that the two jellyfish do not overlap.
Exercise 4
Draw a jellyfish with a 7 cm bell and five tentacles. Make one tentacle curl outward at the tip. Use three shading layers on the lower right of the bell.
Show answer and check
A jellyfish with a smooth 7 cm dome bell, five S-curve tentacles, one with an outward curl at the tip, and three light shading layers on the lower right.
Why: The curl is added at the end of one tentacle stroke without breaking the flow. Three layers build a soft gradient. The bell outline remains smooth and symmetric.
Check: Measure the bell height (7 cm) and count five tentacles. Confirm one tip curls outward. Check that shading has three visible light layers on the lower right and that the outline is smooth.
Common mistakes
- Drawing the bell as a perfect circle or triangle. Use a dome shape: rounded top, wider bottom, gentle bottom curve.
- Making tentacles stiff or straight. Use continuous S-curves and vary lengths.
- Shading too dark too early. Build shading in two or three light layers.
- Ignoring symmetry until the end. Check symmetry at three heights before darkening the outline.
Self-check rubric
- Bell outline is a smooth dome with a gentle bottom curve.
- Symmetry is checked at three heights.
- Tentacles use continuous S-curves and varied lengths.
- Shading is light, layered, and follows the dome curve.
- Layout is centered with space for long tentacles.
- Valid alternatives are accepted: different tentacle counts, widths, and handwriting styles are fine if the construction and flow are clear.
Questions and answers
Do I need special paper or tools?
No. Ordinary paper and a pencil are enough. Measure your own paper if you use the example sizes.
How many tentacles should I draw?
Any number that looks balanced. Start with five to seven and vary lengths.
Can I use a pen instead of a pencil?
Yes, but pencil allows lighter construction lines and easier adjustment.
What does x-height mean here?
X-height is the distance from the baseline to the midline of a letter. Letter styles vary, so use your own handwriting as a size guide if needed.