There are many ways to draw a fish. Below are two step-by-step examples.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

A Realistic Fish

  1. 1
    Draw a cross guideline to help align our shapes. Draw an oval and a rectangle guideline for the fish’s body.
  2. 2
    For the tail, draw a big triangle. Draw another triangle for the head. This triangle's corner, the one that is outside the oval, tapers downwards.
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  3. 3
    Outline the final shape of the fish using the guidelines. Draw the mouth like a backwards 3. The edge of the tail is drawn with a wavy line curving inwards the large triangle guideline. Draw the gill cover with 2 arcs. Lastly, draw a circle for the eyes.
  4. 4
    Erase the guidelines completely. Draw the dorsal fins with a wavy line. Draw one fin near the gill cover and the other fin close to the bottom edge of the fish. These fins should look similar to an irregular narrow V.
  5. 5
    Erase the lines inside the fins and draw a circle for the fish’s pupil.
  6. 6
    Detail the insides of the fins and tail by drawing wavy lines.
  7. 7
    Detail the body of the fish by drawing scales. Draw small backward C’s inside the fish’s body to create the scales.
  8. 8
    Color the fish.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

A Cute Cartoon Fish

  1. 1
    Draw a cross guideline to help align the shapes. Draw an oval and a triangle guideline for the fish’s body.
  2. 2
    Draw 2 triangles for the fish’s tail. Make the top triangle bigger than the other.
  3. 3
    Draw two ovals for the eyes, make the left eye smaller. For the mouth guideline draw another small oval perpendicular to the left eye.
  4. 4
    Use the outline to draw the final shape of the fish. Draw the tail with soft curves.
  5. 5
    Draw circles for the eyes. Draw the dorsal fin with a wavy line. Draw the bottom fin like a B attached to the bottom of the fish.
  6. 6
    Erase the guidelines completely and draw 2 crescent moon shapes for the gill cover.
  7. 7
    Color the fish.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I draw a well labelled fish?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Trace it if you can't draw, otherwise use this article and find a science book to label the parts.
  • Question
    Can I do the realistic fish, but less detailed and a little more simple?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can put your own touches on this and make it as simple or complex as you like/
  • Question
    What if I can't draw?
    CanisChiroptera
    CanisChiroptera
    Community Answer
    Anybody can learn to draw if they practice. Sometimes, tracing can help, but try instead using it as a reference, as it requires you to think about your lines more.
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Warnings

  • Remember, there will always be someone who doesn't find your drawing perfect, maybe it's you! Just keep trying.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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Things You'll Need

  • Pencil (recommended) or pen
  • Paper
  • Markers/crayons/colored pencils (optional)
  • For a more professional look, shade the fish in with Pastels!

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 38 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 299,702 times.
85 votes - 58%
Co-authors: 38
Updated: September 16, 2021
Views: 299,702
Categories: Drawing Sea Creatures
Article SummaryX

To draw a fish, start by drawing oval and rectangle guidelines for the fish's body. Next, draw a triangle for the tail and another triangle for the head with a corner tapering downwards outside the oval. For the mouth, draw a backwards 3, then create the tail by drawing a line curving inwards to the large triangle. Finally, draw 2 arcs for the gill covers, erase the guidelines, draw 2 fins using wavy lines, and make scales by drawing backwards "Cs" on the body. To find out how to draw a cartoon fish, read on!

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