How to Draw a Starfish (Easy Step by Step)
A starfish is a friendly drawing to try because it is built from just a few simple shapes: five round-ended arms, two dot eyes, a smile and some spots. There are no tricky details, so it is a great first sea creature for young artists. Once you know the steps, you can draw a whole ocean full of them.
- Easy
- 10 minutes
- 6 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a starfish step by step
How to Draw a Starfish · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: The top arm
Start near the middle of the top and draw an upside-down U shape, like a fat thumb pointing up. Let it get a little wider at the bottom, and finish each end with a tiny flick tucked inward.
Step 2: The side arms
Draw an arm reaching out to the left and one to the right, each with a big rounded end like a mitten. Start each one at the little tuck of the top arm, and let the lower edge curve back toward the middle with a small tuck.
Step 3: The bottom arms
Add two chubby arms at the bottom, each starting at the tuck under a side arm and ending in a rounded foot shape. Join the two feet in the middle with a small V-shaped dip, and draw a short line going up from the dip.
Step 4: The happy face
In the middle of the body, draw two small round dots for eyes. Underneath, between them, draw a small U-shaped smile.
Step 5: Dots on the top arm
Near the top of the top arm, draw two small dots side by side. Then add one more small dot below and between them, like a tiny triangle.
Step 6: Spots on the other arms
Give each of the four other arms a little group of three dots, spread out in a loose triangle. Try to make the left and right arms match.
All done!
Go over your lines with a marker, then color it in.
Finished your starfish? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a seal or how to draw a clownfish next.
Tips for drawing a starfish
- The five arms are the trickiest part. Imagine each one as a fat sausage with a round end, and try to make them about the same length.
- Draw the little tucks where two arms meet as short lines that point toward the middle. They make the arms look like they join into one body.
- Keep the dots small and spread them out a bit. If you put them in a loose triangle on each arm, the starfish looks neat and balanced.
Free starfish coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this starfish 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 starfish drawing
Orange, coral and yellow are classic starfish colors, and you can use a darker shade for the dots. For a creative twist, color each arm a different color for a rainbow starfish.
Starfish fun fact for kids
Starfish are not really fish, so many scientists call them sea stars. They have no brain and no blood, and if one loses an arm, it can often grow a new one.
Questions about drawing a starfish
What shapes do I need to draw a starfish?
You need five rounded arm shapes that meet in the middle, two small dots for eyes, a small curved line for a smile and some little dots for spots. Think of it as a star with soft, puffy points.
How do I make my starfish look cuter?
Put the two round eyes close to the smile and keep the smile small. Rounder, chubbier arms also look friendlier than pointy ones.
How do I draw a starfish with even arms?
Start with the top arm, then draw the two side arms, and finish with the bottom two. Compare each one with the arm across from it as you go, and fix any that look much longer or shorter.
