To learn how to draw a fish, draw a lemon shape for the body and a wide tail on one end. Add a fin on top and one underneath, a curved gill line and a side fin, then rows of little scales, an eye, a smile and a few bubbles.
This easy fish drawing is one of the best first drawings for kids: the body is one simple shape and the scales are just little curves. The free PDF has the step sheet, a tracing page, a practice grid and a coloring page.
What’s in the free PDF
- Step-by-step sheet with 6 numbered steps; new lines are black, earlier lines are grey
- Tracing page with a large fish in light grey to trace over
- Practice sheet with a small reference and two boxes with a light grid
- Coloring page with the finished fish in bold outlines
How to draw a fish step by step
- Body. Draw a big lemon shape: two curved lines that meet in a point on the left and on the right.
- Tail. On the right end, draw a wide tail that fans out, with a curved back edge.
- Top and bottom fins. Draw a rounded fin on top of the body and a small fin underneath.
- Gill and side fin. Near the head, draw a curved line from the top of the body to the bottom for the gill. Add a small leaf-shaped side fin in the middle of the body.
- Scales. Behind the gill line, draw rows of small curved lines, like little smiles, for the scales. Add three lines on the tail.
- Face. Draw an eye with a dark pupil, a small smile and three bubbles of different sizes in front of the mouth.
Scales take patience. Start the first row at the top and let each row sit a little lower than the one before; they do not have to line up perfectly.
Easy fish drawing: common mistakes and fixes
- The body is a circle. A lemon shape with two points looks much more like a fish.
- The tail is tiny. Make the tail about a third as long as the body.
- The fins float. Start and end every fin on the body line.
- Scales cover the face. Keep the head area in front of the gill line smooth.
Trace, practice, then color
Trace it first
If drawing freehand feels hard, start with the tracing page. Go over the grey lines with a pencil, pressing lightly, and you learn the shapes and their order without worrying about mistakes. Then try again on the practice sheet.
Practice on the grid
The practice sheet has a small finished fish for reference and two boxes with a faint grid. Count how many squares wide and tall the reference is, then draw your fish the same way. The grid keeps the parts the right size next to each other.
Color the finished drawing
Fish can be any color: orange like a goldfish, blue and yellow like a tang, or rainbow stripes. Color the fins and tail a shade darker than the body and the bubbles light blue.
Fish drawing tips for kids
- Draw seaweed, rocks and sand to turn the fish into an ocean scene.
- Add stripes or spots instead of scales for a different kind of fish.
- Draw a whole school of small fish swimming the same way.
- Cut the colored fish out and hang it on a string for an ocean mobile.
Download the pages one by one
Prefer a single page? Click a link to open the full-size image, then print it or save it. The PDF with all pages and a cover is in the download box.
- How to draw a fish: step-by-step sheet (PNG)
- a Fish tracing page (PNG)
- a Fish practice sheet with grid (PNG)
- a Fish coloring page (PNG)
More to draw: how to draw a shark, 45 cute animal drawings and simple drawing ideas. For coloring, try our axolotl coloring pages.
FAQ
What is the easiest way to draw a fish?
Draw a lemon shape for the body, add a triangle tail on one end, a fin on top and an eye. That is a fish in four shapes; the scales and bubbles are extras.
How do you draw fish scales?
Draw rows of small curves that look like little smiles or the letter U upside down. Overlap the rows slightly, from the top of the body to the bottom.
How do you draw a fish tail?
At the end of the body, draw two lines that spread out like a fan, then join them with a curved line. Add a few lines inside the tail for detail.
What age is this fish drawing for?
Kids from about age 4 can draw the body, tail and fins. Older kids can add the scales and the gill line.
