How to Draw Ariel from The Little Mermaid
Learn to draw Ariel step-by-step with classic animated proportions, from her sweeping red bangs and seashell top down to her flowing mermaid tail.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
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- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ 2B graphite pencil
- ✓ Fine-tip black outline marker
- ✓ Soft vinyl eraser
- ✓ Set of colored pencils or alcohol markers
- ✓ Pencil sharpener
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Heavyweight drawing paper (80-100 lb)
- ✓ Scrap paper for color testing
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Maintain a relaxed hand grip to prevent wrist fatigue during long sketching sessions.
- • Work in a well-ventilated area if using solvent-based alcohol markers.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Sketch the Eyes and Facial Features
Start in the upper-middle area of the paper by drawing two large almond shapes for Ariel's expressive eyes, angling slightly inward. Add thick upper lash lines with distinct curled eyelashes on the outer corners, followed by circular pupils and iris highlights inside. Below the eyes, place a small curved arc for the nose and a wide, friendly crescent smile with a tiny bottom lip accent.
- • Two symmetrical, wide-set cartoon eyes with visible highlight circles.
- • A cheerful smiling mouth positioned directly below the nose arch.
- • Placing the eyes too close together, which ruins the animated princess aesthetic.
- • Making the pupils completely black without leaving white catchlight highlights.
Draw the Face Outline and Sweeping Bangs
Draw a soft, gently curving jawline starting next to the left eye, dipping down to a rounded chin, and rising up near the right eye. Above the forehead, sketch Ariel's signature voluminous bangs using a large, fluid S-curve that swoops across the forehead and curls over the right side of the face. Add a small visible ear on the left side with a simple inner line.
- • A smooth, youthful jawline ending in a slightly tapered chin.
- • A distinct, bouncy hair swoop covering the upper third of the forehead.
- • Drawing a harsh, angular chin instead of a soft curve.
- • Flattening the hair volume against the skull rather than giving it an airy lift.
Construct the Neck, Shoulders, and Seashell Top
Draw two slight downward lines for the slender neck, flaring out smoothly into the shoulders and upper chest. Sketch two scallop-shell shapes centered over the chest, adding 3-4 radiating ridges inside each shell. Connect the shells in the middle with a small circular knot and sketch the beginning of the narrow waistline beneath.
- • Proportional shoulders that are roughly twice the width of the neck.
- • Two well-defined seashell cups joined at the center sternum.
- • Drawing the neck too thick or excessively long.
- • Making the shell bra overly small or misaligned relative to the ribcage.
Add the Flowing Hair and Arms
Extend long, flowing locks of hair from behind the head, drafting wavy outer lines that billow outwards and taper down past her shoulders. Sketch slender arms extending naturally from the shoulders, with hands resting gently near her hips or flowing gracefully by her sides. Add interior flow lines through the hair to represent water movement and volume.
- • Wide, dynamic hair contours that frame the torso.
- • Relaxed arm placement with clean, simplified hand gestures.
- • Drawing stiff, straight hair strands that lack underwater floating motion.
- • Overcomplicating the fingers instead of using clean cartoon outlines.
Sketch the Mermaid Tail and Fluke Fins
From the waist, add a curved horizontal V-trim for the waist fins, then taper two long, sweeping curves downward to form the mermaid tail. At the bottom of the tail, flare out two wide, fan-like fluke fins that sweep outward and come to elegant pointed tips. Draw subtle accent lines through the fin blades to give them a natural aquatic texture.
- • An S-curved tail shape conveying fluid underwater motion.
- • Broad, balanced fin flukes fanning outward at the tail base.
- • Making the tail straight and rigid like a cone instead of curved.
- • Drafting the bottom fins too small to support the visual weight of the character.
Ink the Line Art and Apply Vibrant Color
Trace over all primary pencil outlines using a fine-tip black marker, then erase any remaining graphite lines once the ink dries. Fill Ariel's hair with vivid primary red, her seashell top with lavender purple, and her mermaid tail with emerald green. Use soft peach for her skin, deep cyan for her irises, and add subtle shading along hair creases and under the tail's waist fins for depth.
- • Crisp, smear-free black outlines across the entire drawing.
- • Solid, vibrant color blocks with classic character-accurate hues.
- • Erasing graphite before the black ink is 100% dry, leading to dark streaks.
- • Applying marker color too heavily on thin paper, causing feathering or bleed-through.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Art for Kids Hub — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Fine-tip inking pen (Micron/fineliner)? Black gel pen or sharpened 2B pencil applied with firm pressure
- No Kneaded eraser? Clean white vinyl eraser dabbed gently without scrubbing