Zen Vibes

How to Draw a Fish

  • 8 steps
  • Ages 5 and up
  • About 10 minutes
  • easy

This fish is a good one for young children and anyone who wants a simple sea animal to draw. You only need a few basic shapes and short curved lines. Start with a big oval body, then add the mouth, eye, fins, and tail. The pale dotted lines are light guide shapes to help with placing the parts. The black lines show what to draw in each step. At the end, go over the lines you want to keep and rub out the dotted guides.

What you need: a pencil, an eraser, black pen or dark pencil, paper.

Print this guide as a PDF, 328 KB
  1. A large black oval sits in the middle of the page. Pale dotted guides show a small mouth shape on the left, a top fin, a bottom fin, a tail on the right, an eye circle, and a curved gill line.

    Step 1

    Draw the body oval

    Draw one large oval across the middle for the fish's body.

  2. The fish now has a black pointed mouth on the left, made with two angled points. The oval body is grey from the earlier step, and the other fin and tail guides are still dotted.

    Step 2

    Add the mouth

    On the left end of the oval, draw a small zigzag mouth shape that points out from the body.

  3. A bold black eye appears near the front of the fish. It has a round outline, a dark pupil, and a small white highlight.

    Step 3

    Draw the eye

    Inside the dotted eye guide, draw a round eye with a dark middle and a small white shine left uncolored.

  4. A thick black curved gill line is added behind the eye. The rest of the body stays the same, with dotted fin and tail guides still showing.

    Step 4

    Add the gill line

    Draw one curved line behind the eye, from higher up on the body down toward the belly.

  5. A pointed top fin is now drawn in black on the fish's back. Two curved black lines inside the fin show its detail.

    Step 5

    Make the top fin

    Use the dotted guide on top to draw the top fin. Then add two curved lines inside it.

  6. A matching bottom fin is now drawn in black under the fish. It also has two curved detail lines inside.

    Step 6

    Draw the bottom fin

    Use the dotted guide under the body to draw the bottom fin. Add two curved lines inside this fin too.

  7. The fish now has a full tail on the right side with two pointed parts. Four black lines inside the tail show the fin texture.

    Step 7

    Finish the tail

    At the back, draw the tail with two pointed lobes using the dotted guide. Add four short slanted lines inside the tail.

  8. The finished fish has a bold oval body, a pointed mouth, a round eye, a curved gill line, top and bottom fins with inner lines, and a detailed tail. The dotted guides are gone.

    Finished

    Go over and clean up

    Go over the body and all the parts you are keeping with darker lines. Rub out the pale dotted guides when you are done.

Tips for this one

  • Keep the first oval big and smooth.
  • Draw the dotted guide shapes lightly so they are easy to rub out.
  • Leave a tiny white spot in the eye to make it look shiny.

Now try this

  • Draw bubbles around the fish.
  • Add stripes or spots on the body.
  • Draw seaweed and rocks under the fish.

Questions

What if my oval is not perfect?
That is fine. A fish body can be a little wider or longer and still look good. Try to keep the line smooth as you go around.
Does the fish need both fins?
Yes, this drawing shows one fin on top and one underneath. They help the fish look balanced and complete.
Can I color the fish any way I want?
Yes. You can make it orange, blue, yellow, or rainbow. Adding a lighter belly can also look nice.

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