How to Draw a Pufferfish (Easy Step by Step)
A pufferfish is a silly, spiky round fish with a big smile, and it is one of the easiest sea animals to draw. It is built from one wiggly zigzag outline for the spikes, a fish tail with a V in the middle, two dots for eyes, a smile and a small fin. Kids love the spikes because they do not have to be neat to look right.
- Easy
- 12 minutes
- 7 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a pufferfish step by step
How to Draw a Pufferfish · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Spiky top left edge
Start near the top middle and draw a wiggly zigzag line going left and then down the left side, with pointy spikes sticking out. Stop near the bottom left.
Step 2: Spiky bottom edge
Pick up where the last line ended and keep zigzagging along the bottom, going right. Make some spikes taller and some shorter so the fish looks puffed up.
Step 3: Right spikes and tail lines
On the right side of the body, finish the zigzag spikes at the top and at the bottom. Then draw one long, gentle line sweeping out to the right from each side to start the tail.
Step 4: The tail fin
Join the two tail lines with a big curve at the far right. Pinch it in toward the middle to make a small V, like a fish tail.
Step 5: Two round eyes
Draw two big dots in the middle of the body, side by side. Color them in so they are nice and dark.
Step 6: A happy smile
Between and below the eyes, draw a small curved line like a little smile. A tiny U shape is just right.
Step 7: The side fin
On the right side of the body, near the tail, draw a small rounded drop shape with the point at the top. This is the little fin that helps the fish swim.
All done!
Go over your lines with a marker, then color it in.
Finished your pufferfish? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw an anglerfish or how to draw a manta ray next.
Tips for drawing a pufferfish
- Spikes that are different sizes look more natural than a row of matching ones.
- The zigzag is the trickiest part. Go slowly, and pick up your pencil at each point if that helps.
- Draw the two tail lines so they start at the spiky body and sweep outward, then join them at the far end with a curve that dips into a small V in the middle.
Free pufferfish coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this pufferfish 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 pufferfish drawing
Try sunny yellow or soft orange for the body, with a lighter color for the tail and fin. For a creative twist, color each spike a different color.
Pufferfish fun fact for kids
When a pufferfish feels scared, it quickly swallows water to blow up like a balloon, which makes it too big and spiky for many hungry fish to swallow.
Questions about drawing a pufferfish
What shapes do I need to draw a pufferfish?
You need a wiggly zigzag outline for the round spiky body, a curved tail with a V in the middle, two small dots for eyes, and a little curved line for the smile. A small drop shape makes the side fin.
How do I make my pufferfish look cuter?
Make the eyes big dark dots and add a small smile just below and between them. Shorter, rounder spikes also make the fish look friendlier.
How do I draw the spikes so they look even?
Go slowly and make each point a little different. They do not have to match exactly, since the spikes on a real pufferfish are not perfectly even either.
