How to Draw a Fish: Easy Steps for Beginners, Kids, and Nature Sketchers

Start With the Fish You Want to Draw

Before you put pencil to paper, decide what kind of fish you want to draw.

A cartoon fish, a bass, a trout, a goldfish, and a shark-like saltwater fish all start differently. The good news is that most fish can be built from the same basic parts: body, head, tail, fins, eye, mouth, gill cover, and surface details.

Fish vary widely in shape. Some are long and narrow. Some are tall and rounded. Others are flat, narrow, or built for quick bursts of speed. A trout looks different from a bluegill because it lives, feeds, and moves differently.

For this guide, we’ll use a simple side-view fish because it works for almost every skill level.

Supplies You Need

You do not need expensive art gear to learn how to draw a fish.

Use:

• Pencil
• Eraser
• Paper or sketchbook
• Black pen or fine liner
• Colored pencils, markers, or watercolor pencils
• A reference photo if you want a realistic fish

For outdoor sketching, a small notebook and a basic pencil are enough. I’ve sketched trout beside a creek with nothing more than a dull pencil and a folded map as a drawing board. The drawing was not perfect, but watching the fish shape in real life helped more than any polished tutorial.

How to Draw a Simple Fish for Beginners

This version is best for kids, new artists, or anyone who wants a clean fish outline.

Step 1: Draw the Body

Start with a horizontal oval.

Make it slightly pointed at the front if you want the fish to look more natural. A round oval makes the fish look cute and cartoon-like. A longer oval makes it look faster, more like a trout, salmon, or bass.

Why it matters:
The body shape sets the whole personality of the fish.

Step 2: Add the Tail

Draw a sideways triangle at the back of the body.

For a simple fish, one triangle works fine. For a more realistic fish, draw a forked tail with two curved points.

The tail is called the caudal fin. It sits at the rear of the fish and is one of the most recognizable parts of a fish drawing.

Step 3: Draw the Eye and Mouth

Place a small circle near the front of the body.

Then draw a small curved line for the mouth. A smiling curve gives you a friendly cartoon fish. A short straight or downward curve makes the fish look more natural.

For kids, keep the eye large. For realistic fish, keep the eye smaller and place it slightly above the center line of the head.

Step 4: Add the Gill Plate

Draw a curved line behind the eye.

This line separates the head from the body and represents the gill cover. Do not make it too straight. A soft crescent shape usually looks better.

Step 5: Add the Top Fin

Draw a fin along the top of the body.

This is the dorsal fin. It can be a simple triangle, a rounded sail shape, or a spiky fin depending on the fish.

For beginners, draw one smooth triangle. For a bass or perch-style fish, make the front edge taller and the back edge lower.

Step 6: Add the Bottom and Side Fins

Add one small fin on the side of the fish. This is the pectoral fin.

Then add one or two smaller fins along the bottom. These can represent the pelvic and anal fins.

You do not need to memorize every fish part to make a good beginner drawing, but fin placement matters. A fish usually looks more believable when the top fin sits on the back, the side fin sits behind the gill, and the tail fin connects clearly to the rear of the body.

Step 7: Add Scales or Texture

Draw small curved marks across the body.

You do not need to cover the whole fish with perfect scales. A few rows near the middle of the body are enough for a simple drawing.

For a cleaner look, add:

• Three or four curved scale rows
• A few dots
• A stripe along the side
• A darker back and lighter belly

Step 8: Outline and Color

Trace your final lines with pen.

Erase the pencil marks after the ink dries. Add color with pencils, markers, or watercolor.

A simple color plan works well:

• Darker top
• Lighter belly
• Slightly darker fins
• Small highlight in the eye

That top-dark, bottom-light pattern is common in many fish and helps your drawing feel more natural.

Easy Fish Drawing Method for Kids

For younger artists, keep everything shape-based.

Try this version:

1. Draw a big oval.
2. Add a triangle tail.
3. Add a circle eye.
4. Add a smile.
5. Add one top fin and one bottom fin.
6. Add bubbles.
7. Color it any way you like.

This does not need to be anatomically perfect. The goal is confidence.

A kid-friendly fish can have big eyes, bold colors, stripes, spots, eyelashes, a hat, or even a treasure chest nearby. When teaching kids, avoid correcting every detail. Instead, ask, “What kind of water does your fish live in?” That turns the drawing into a story.

How to Draw a More Realistic Fish

Once the simple outline feels easy, use real fish structure.

Study the Main Body Line

Real fish are rarely perfect ovals.

A trout has a long, streamlined body. A bluegill is taller and rounder. A bass has a larger mouth and heavier head. A goldfish may have flowing fins and a deeper body.

Start with a center guideline from nose to tail. Then build the top and bottom curves around it.

Place the Fins Before Adding Detail

Do not add scales too early.

First, place the major fins:

This step matters because fins make the fish readable. A beautiful scale pattern will not save the drawing if the fins are floating in the wrong places.

Add the Lateral Line

Many fish have a visible line running along the side of the body.

This is called the lateral line. In a drawing, the lateral line can be a subtle curved line from behind the gill toward the tail. Do not make it too dark unless the fish species has a strong visible stripe.

Use Shading to Create Form

For a realistic fish sketch, shade the body instead of relying only on outlines.

Try this:

• Shade the top of the fish darker.
• Keep the belly lighter.
• Add shadow under the gill plate.
• Darken the base of the fins.
• Add a small shadow where the tail connects to the body.

This gives the fish a rounded, three-dimensional look.

How to Draw a Fish for Nature Journaling

Nature journal drawings do not have to look like finished art. They need to help you observe.

Use a simple field sketch format:

• Draw the fish outline.
• Label the fins.
• Note color, size, and location.
• Add date, water type, and weather.
• Write one observation, such as “dark back, pale belly, red spots near side.”

This is useful for anglers, hikers, campers, homeschool families, and anyone who likes learning from time outdoors.

When sketching from life, work fast. Fish move, light changes, and your memory fades quickly. Block in the body first. Add the most important field marks next. Save detailed scales for later.

Common Fish Drawing Mistakes

Making the Body Too Round

A round body is fine for cartoons, but many real fish are longer than beginners expect.

Fix it by stretching the oval and narrowing the tail section.

Putting Every Fin in the Same Place

Fish fins have specific positions. If all fins sit in the middle, the drawing looks off.

Fix it by sketching the fin locations lightly before adding details.

Drawing Every Scale Individually

This usually makes the fish look stiff and crowded.

Fix it by suggesting scales with partial rows, texture marks, or soft shading.

Making the Eye Too High or Too Large

Big eyes work for cartoons. For realistic fish, oversized eyes can make the drawing look childish.

Fix it by placing the eye near the front of the head and slightly above the center line.

Skipping the Gill Plate

Without a gill line, the fish often looks like a plain oval with fins.

Fix it by adding one curved line behind the eye.

Fish Drawing Ideas by Skill Level

Tips for Drawing Different Types of Fish

Trout

Use a long body, small head, forked tail, and small spots. Add a lighter belly and a subtle side stripe.

Bass

Draw a larger mouth, thicker body, and strong dorsal fin. The jaw line is important.

Bluegill

Use a taller, rounder body. Add vertical bars and a small dark mark near the gill area.

Goldfish

Use a rounded body and flowing fins. This is a good choice for kids and decorative art.

Koi

Draw a long body with smooth patches of color. Koi work well for watercolor or colored pencil practice.

Cartoon Fish

Exaggerate the eye, smile, tail, and bubbles. Do not worry about realism.

Simple Practice Exercise

Try drawing the same fish three ways:

1. One-minute outline
2. Five-minute sketch
3. Fifteen-minute detailed drawing

The one-minute version teaches shape. The five-minute version teaches proportion. The fifteen-minute version teaches detail and shading.

This is one of the fastest ways to improve because it keeps you from getting stuck on scales before the body looks right.

Useful Product Recommendations

These are optional tools that can make fish drawing easier.

Basic drawing pencil set — useful for beginners who want light sketch lines and darker shading.
Best for: beginner and nature sketching practice.
Limitation: pencils need sharpening.
Cheaper option: one standard HB pencil.

Mixed media sketchbook — useful for pencil, ink, colored pencil, and light watercolor.
Best for: kids, field notes, and finished fish drawings.
Limitation: very wet paint may wrinkle thin paper.
Cheaper option: printer paper for practice.

Fine line drawing pens — useful for clean outlines, fins, scales, and field journal labels.
Best for: final outlines and nature journaling.
Limitation: ink mistakes are permanent.
Cheaper option: outline with a sharpened pencil.

Colored pencil set — useful for trout spots, koi patches, goldfish color, and subtle shading.
Best for: controlled color without paint mess.
Limitation: large backgrounds take time.
Cheaper option: use three colors only: dark, medium, and light.

Final Tips for Better Fish Drawings

The best way to learn how to draw a fish is to keep the first version simple. Start with the body, tail, eye, mouth, gill plate, and fins. Add scales and shading only after the fish shape looks right.

For kids, make it fun. For beginners, focus on clean shapes. For anglers and nature journalers, study real fish from your local waters. For advanced artists, pay close attention to fin structure, body depth, markings, and light.

A good fish drawing does not need every scale. It needs the right shape, the right fins, and enough detail to feel alive.