Ever tried to draw Ariel and ended up with something that looks more like a red-mop-topped blob than the iconic Little Mermaid? You aren't alone. Honestly, an ariel disney princess drawing is deceptively difficult because of the physics involved. You're dealing with underwater movement, 1980s volume, and that specific "S-curve" that Disney animators like Glen Keane perfected.
Keane, the lead animator for Ariel, actually based her movements on his wife and even footage of astronaut Sally Ride in space to get that weightless, floating hair look. If you just draw a person with red hair, it looks flat. It looks wrong. To get it right, you have to understand how water acts as a medium. It’s not just about the tail; it’s about the flow.
The Secret Geometry of Ariel's Silhouette
Most beginners start with the face. Big mistake. If you want a professional-looking ariel disney princess drawing, you have to start with the "action line." In animation, this is the invisible spine that dictates the character's energy. Ariel is almost never a straight line. She’s a curve. Think of a C-shape or a soft S-shape.
Her tail isn't just a fish part glued to a human torso. It’s a continuation of her spine. If you look at the original 1989 character sheets from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the transition from her waist to her scales is seamless. There’s no hard "belt" line.
Why the Hair Is Actually a Character
Think of Ariel’s hair as a separate entity. It has its own volume and its own "follow-through." In the world of animation, follow-through means that when the body stops moving, the hair keeps going. Because she is underwater, the hair should occupy a large portion of your canvas.
It shouldn't just hang down. It should billow.
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A common pitfall? Drawing individual strands. Don't do that. You’ll go crazy and it’ll look messy. Instead, think of her hair as "clumps" or "ribbons." Draw the big shapes first—the massive "bang" that sweeps off her forehead is a distinct, teardrop-like shape. Once you have that mass, you can add a few line flourishes to suggest texture.
Avoiding the "Dolly" Look
There’s a specific "Disney style" from the late 80s and early 90s that is very different from the modern 3D look of Moana or Frozen. Ariel has huge eyes, sure, but they are spaced further apart than you’d think. Her nose is tiny—basically just a small upward stroke and a hint of a nostril.
If you make the nose too realistic, the whole drawing falls apart. It’s a balance of caricature and anatomy.
One thing people often miss is the "fin" logic. Ariel’s fluke (the end of her tail) is shaped like two overlapping leaves. It’s flexible. It’s not a stiff piece of plastic. When she’s swimming fast, those fins should be tucked or trailing. When she’s hovering, they should be spread wide.
Colors and Shading Without the Mud
If you’re coloring your ariel disney princess drawing, you have to be careful with the red. Because she lives underwater, the lighting is filtered through blue and green.
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- The Hair: Use a deep burgundy for the shadows, a bright poppy red for the mid-tones, and a soft orange or even pink for the highlights.
- The Tail: It’s "Ariel Green." It’s a specific teal that the Disney Paint Lab actually invented and named after her. To make it pop, use a dark sea-blue for the shadows under the scales.
- The Shells: They are purple, but keep them muted. If they’re too bright, they distract from her face.
The Gravity Problem
When drawing Ariel on land—think of the "Part of Your World" reprise where she’s on the rock—her hair behaves differently. Gravity kicks in. It gets heavy. It clumps together because it’s wet.
This is where many artists get stuck. They draw "Underwater Ariel" hair even when she’s sitting on a rock in the sun. If she’s out of the water, that hair needs to look weighed down. Use sharper angles and more "dripping" shapes.
Proportions That Feel Right
Ariel is roughly five to six "heads" tall. Her torso is relatively short compared to the length of her tail. If you make the tail too short, she looks like a human in a costume. The tail should be at least 1.5 times the length of her upper body. This gives her that elegant, serpentine quality that makes the character so fluid.
Let’s talk about the hands. Disney hands are notoriously tough. They are expressive. Ariel is a curious character; her hands are usually reaching for something or tucked under her chin. Avoid "mittens." Give her long, tapering fingers, but don't over-detail the knuckles. Keep it soft.
Perspective and Depth
You want her to look like she’s in a 3D space, not stuck on a piece of paper. Use "overlap." Have a part of her hair pass in front of her shoulder. Have the curve of her tail wrap behind her body. These tiny overlaps tell the viewer’s brain that she has volume.
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Also, consider the "waterline." If she’s breaking the surface, you have two different refractive indexes to deal with. Things look different underwater than they do in the air. Most people just draw a straight line across her chest, but water clings to the skin. Use some "surface tension" lines where her body meets the water’s surface.
Final Touches for an Iconic Look
To really nail the ariel disney princess drawing, you need the "sparkle." In the film, there are always bubbles or floating "dust" (marine snow) around her. Adding a few small circles of varying sizes—some sharp, some blurred—instantly creates an underwater atmosphere.
Don't forget the eyelashes. Ariel doesn't have a full row of lashes like a modern makeup influencer. She usually has three or four distinct, thick lashes on the outer corner of her eyes. This opens up her face and makes her look more innocent and inquisitive.
Actionable Next Steps
- Start with a "Gesture" Sketch: Spend two minutes just drawing curvy lines to find the flow of the body before you even think about the eyes or hair.
- Reference the "Keane" Sheets: Look up original 1989 production sketches. These show the "hidden" construction lines that the pros use.
- Use a Limited Palette: Don't use every crayon in the box. Stick to red, teal, purple, and a soft peach. Mix them to create your shadows.
- Focus on the "S" Curve: Check your drawing. If you can't trace a smooth "S" from her head down to her fin, erase it and start the body line over.
- Master the Bangs: Practice that one big swooping shape of her hair. It’s the most recognizable part of her silhouette. If that’s wrong, the whole drawing feels off-model.
Getting the hang of this takes a bit of time, but focusing on the weightlessness of the water rather than the "anatomy" of a fish is the fastest way to improve. Stop thinking about drawing a girl and a tail—start thinking about drawing a single, flowing ribbon that happens to have a face.