How to Draw a Fish (Easy Step by Step)
This round little fish is a great first animal to draw because it is mostly one big oval with a few simple extras. You will use an oval, curved lines, a leaf shape and small circles, and you can finish the whole thing in one sitting. The bubbles at the end make it look like it is swimming.
- Easy
- 10 minutes
- 8 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a fish step by step
How to Draw a Fish · 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
Draw a big, wide oval in the middle of your paper. This is the fish's body, so make it nice and plump.
Step 3: The tail
Start on the right side of the oval, a little above the middle, and draw a curved line out to a pointed corner. Curve back in to make a small notch, then swoop out to a second pointed corner and finish at the oval, below the middle.
Step 4: The top fin
On top of the body, draw a curved hill shape that starts on the oval, rises up to a small point leaning to the right, and comes back down to touch the oval again.
Step 5: The mouth
In the lower middle of the body, draw a leaf shape, like a pointy lemon lying on its side. This is the open mouth.
Step 6: The eye
Near the left side of the body, above the mouth, draw a small circle and color it in solid.
Step 7: Little curved marks
Draw small smile-shaped curves with tiny upturned ends. Put one under the eye, two above the mouth in the middle of the body, and two near the tail.
Step 8: Bubbles
Up in the top left corner, draw two circles floating away from the fish. Make one small and one a little bigger.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your fish? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a narwhal or how to draw a starfish next.
Tips for drawing a fish
- Draw the body oval first and make it wide, then add the tail and fin so they touch the oval's edge.
- The mouth is a leaf shape: draw two curved lines that meet at a point on each end.
- Keep the little curved marks small and similar in size so they look like matching scales.
Free fish coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this fish 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 fish drawing
Try bright orange or gold for the body with a deeper orange tail and fin. For a creative twist, color the bubbles light blue or add polka dots to the tail.
Fish fun fact for kids
Fish breathe underwater using gills, which pull oxygen out of the water as it flows past them.
Questions about drawing a fish
What shapes do I need to draw a fish?
You need a big oval for the body, a leaf shape for the mouth and a curved tail with a notch in the middle. Small circles make the eye and bubbles.
How do I make my fish look cuter?
Make the body extra round and the eye a solid dot. Add the little curved marks on the body for a friendly, sweet look.
How do I draw a fish tail?
Start on the right side of the body and curve out to a point, then dip in for a small notch in the middle. Curve out to a second point and come back to the body.
