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How to Draw a Cichlid

14 steps · Medium · about 11 min

Draw a cichlid in 14 easy steps, about 11 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.

Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: long egg body.

Step 1: Long egg body
Start left of the middle. Draw a long rainbow and an upside-down one below, leaving gaps at both ends.
Tip The front gap is as tall as your thumb is wide. The back gap is the same.
Step 2: Eye and lips
Close the front gap with puffy lips and a little smile. Draw one big round eye with a dot.
Step 3: Round fan tail
Close the back gap with a small curve. From its ends draw a round fan tail with 3 rays.
Step 4: Long top fin
Start above the eye. Draw a long low fin along the back to a point, then down to the back.
Tip A cichlid's top fin runs nearly the whole way along its back.
Step 5: Bottom fin
Start on the belly past the middle. Draw a pointed fin sweeping back, stopping on the belly near the tail.
Step 6: Belly fin
Start on the belly below the eye. Draw a small pointed fin hanging back, stopping on the belly.
Step 7: Side fin
Behind the eye, in the middle of the body, draw a small teardrop fin pointing back.
Step 8: Three stripes
Draw 3 stripes straight down the body, from the back to the belly. Make each stripe 2 close lines.
Tip Keep the side fin in the gap between the first 2 stripes.
Step 9: Bubbles
In front of the lips draw 3 bubbles floating up, small to big.
Step 10: Sand and seaweed
Draw a wavy sand line right across the bottom. Add 2 seaweed blades on the left, one on the right.
Step 11: Yellow fins
Colour the tail and all 4 fins yellow, and the bubbles light blue.
Step 12: Sandy floor, green seaweed
Colour the floor sandy and the 3 seaweed blades green.
Step 13: Blue body
Colour the body and lips blue around the side fin. Leave the eye and the 3 stripes white.
Step 14: Dark stripes
Colour the 3 stripes dark blue. Your cichlid is ready to swim!