How to Draw an Angelfish (Easy Step by Step)
The angelfish is a friendly drawing built from one big round body, a few leaf-shaped fins, and a shiny eye. If you can draw an oval and some curvy lines, you have all the skills you need. The stripes make it look like a real fish swimming by.
- Easy
- 10 minutes
- 9 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawing
In this article (7 sections)
How to draw an angelfish step by step
How to Draw an Angelfish · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: The round body
Start with a big, round oval for the body, a little pointy on the right where the face will be. Make it nice and wide so there is room for stripes.
Step 3: The big top fin
On top of the body, draw a tall, wavy fin that looks like a leaf or a sail. Start and end it on the top edge of the body.
Step 4: The tail fin
On the left side, draw a tail shaped like a fan with a little dip in the middle. Connect both ends to the body.
Step 5: The bottom fins
Under the body, draw two soft loops that hang down like teardrops. Let one overlap the other a little.
Step 6: The round eye
Near the face, draw a big circle and color it in dark. Leave a tiny white dot in one corner so the eye sparkles.
Step 7: Body stripes
Draw three long, curved lines across the middle of the body, side by side. Bend them all the same way, like parentheses.
Step 8: Top fin lines
Inside the top fin, draw three short curved lines that start near the body and sweep up. Make them different lengths.
Step 9: Tail and fin details
Add two small slanted lines inside the tail. Then draw one curved line inside each bottom fin.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your angelfish? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a dolphin or how to draw a shark next.
Tips for drawing an angelfish
- Sketch the body as a light oval first, then trace over it with a firm line. A good round body makes every fin fit.
- Draw the three body stripes from top to bottom, and curve them all the same way. They look best when they are about the same distance apart.
- Make the eye dark and round, and leave a small white dot for the sparkle. Color the eye in carefully and keep that little dot white.
Free angelfish coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this angelfish coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your angelfish drawing
Try orange and yellow for the body with blue stripes, and a bright fin on top. For a creative twist, give each stripe its own rainbow color.
Angelfish fun fact for kids
Freshwater angelfish come from the Amazon River basin in South America, and their tall, flat bodies help them slip between water plants.
Questions about drawing an angelfish
What shapes do I need to draw an angelfish?
You need one big oval for the body, a circle for the eye, and leaf or teardrop shapes for the fins. The stripes are just long curved lines.
How do I make my angelfish look cuter?
Make the eye extra big and round with a bright white sparkle. Curvy, rounded fins also give it a sweet face.
Why does my fish body look lopsided?
Start with a light oval and turn the paper as you go. If one side looks off, gently redraw it over the first line.
