How to Draw Basilosaurus — Free Practice Sheets

Basilosaurus was a long, serpentine prehistoric whale, and its shape gives you clear landmarks to draw: an elongated body that tapers at both ends, a small dorsal fin, a narrow skull, front flippers, and tiny hind limbs near the tail base. This page explains how to use the practice sheets to build those features in order, then check your drawing against the separate full reference sheet.

Start with the body outline

Begin by placing the overall silhouette before any detail. Basilosaurus is long and low, so a horizontal body outline that tapers toward the head and toward the tail gives you a stable frame for everything else. Keep the body line smooth rather than lumpy; the animal reads as a whale, not a fish.

Add the small dorsal fin along the back and the tail fluke at the end. These two features help you judge whether the body is the right length and whether the tail sits at the correct height. Leave the head area open until the body proportions look balanced.

1. Draw a long horizontal body outline that tapers at both ends.
2. Add a small dorsal fin along the upper back.
3. Draw the tail fluke at the rear end.
4. Check that the body is longer than it is tall before continuing.

Place the skull and identifying details

The skull is narrow and elongated, which is one of the most recognisable parts of Basilosaurus. Sketch it at the left end of the body, keeping it slim rather than rounded. Mark the eye and the mouth line so the head reads clearly.

Below the body, behind the head, add the front flippers. Near the tail base, draw the small hind limbs. These hind limbs are a distinctive feature, so place them deliberately rather than treating them as an afterthought. Finish with line details for skin folds and light shading.

1. Sketch the narrow elongated skull at the left end.
2. Mark the eye and mouth line on the skull.
3. Add the front flippers below the body behind the head.
4. Draw the small hind limbs near the tail base.
5. Add line details for skin folds and shading.

Using the practice sheet formats

The trace sheet asks you to follow the reference outline first, then practise the contour independently. The grid sheet asks you to copy the reference onto the blank grid using matching grid intersections, which helps you compare distances between features. The bounding-frame sheet uses a frame and centre guide to place the silhouette before you add details. The partial sheet gives you the left portion and asks you to complete the blank right-hand portion from the full reference.

In every format, compare your finished drawing with the separate full reference sheet. Treat the comparison as a check on visible features and proportions, not as a demand for a pixel-perfect match. Different line weights and small shifts in position can still produce a correct drawing.

1. Choose one sheet format and read its prompt.
2. Complete the drawing using the reference as a guide.
3. Compare your result with the separate full reference sheet.
4. Note one proportion to adjust next time.

Checking proportions without a fixed answer

Because drawing has many valid outcomes, judge your work by whether the key features are present and reasonably placed. Ask whether the body is long and tapering, whether the skull is narrow, whether the dorsal fin and tail fluke are visible, and whether the front flippers and small hind limbs sit in believable positions.

Use simple comparisons rather than exact measurements. For example, if the body spans most of the page width, the skull should occupy only a small fraction of that length. If the hind limbs look as large as the front flippers, reduce them.

1. Compare body length with body height.
2. Check that the skull is narrow and elongated.
3. Confirm the hind limbs are smaller than the front flippers.
4. Adjust one feature at a time and recheck.

Check your work

• The body is long and tapers at both ends.
• A small dorsal fin and a tail fluke are visible.
• The skull is narrow and elongated with an eye and mouth line.
• Front flippers sit below the body behind the head.
• Small hind limbs are placed near the tail base and are smaller than the front flippers.
• Line details for skin folds or shading are present without obscuring the outline.

Worked example

basilosaurus: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Drawing a rounded, fish-like head instead of a narrow elongated skull. Lengthen the skull and keep its width small relative to its length, then mark the eye and mouth line.
• Making the hind limbs as large as the front flippers. Reduce the hind limbs and place them close to the tail base.
• Treating the reference as an exact answer to match pixel for pixel. Compare visible features and proportions instead, and accept small differences in line and placement.

Questions and answers