How to Draw a Fish
A comet goldfish swims in profile with flowing fins and a long forked tail. Study the contrast between its rounded body and thin fins, with the eye and gill cover clearly visible.
Start the lessonStage 1: Construction
Draw a wide oval for the body and a large triangle extending to the right for the tail. Add a triangle above the body for the top fin and a tilted oval below for a lower fin.
Stage 2: Shapes
Taper the body into a narrow tail base. Shape the tail into two long, pointed lobes with a deep notch between them, and curve the top fin edges.
Stage 3: Face and Fin Details
Add the open mouth, circular eye, and curved gill cover on the left. Shape a small side fin behind the gill and two pointed fins beneath the belly. Draw spreading rays through the fins and tail, with a few overlapping scale rows behind the head.
Stage 4: Finish the Sketch
Clean away the remaining guides and darken the pupil, leaving small white highlights. Shade the back, gill cover, and fin bases while keeping the center of the body pale. Shade the small group of scales behind the head and strengthen the spaced fin rays to complete the pencil drawing.
Explore colour
Add colour
Make room for your drawing.
One page, 4 stages, and space to draw.
