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How to Draw a Mandarinfish
Draw a mandarinfish in 12 easy steps, about 9 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: plump body.
Step 1: Plump body
Start near the right, above the middle. Draw a big round head, a plump tummy, and stop under your start.
Tip A mandarinfish is short and plump, almost as tall as it is long.
Step 2: Eye up high
High on the head draw one big eye. From the nose draw a small U smile, stopping before the eye.
Step 3: Round paddle tail
Start at the end of the back. Draw a round paddle up and down to the tummy. Add 2 lines.
Step 4: Two fins on top
Draw a tall spiky fin behind the head, then a small round fin. Both start and stop on the back.
Step 5: Bottom fin
Under the tummy, start on the tummy line. Draw a low fin down and back, and stop on the tummy.
Step 6: Gill and side fin
Behind the eye draw a short C for the gill. Behind that draw a round fan fin with 2 lines.
Step 7: Wavy bands
On the body draw 3 wavy ribbon bands: one high, one in the middle, one low, clear of the fins.
Step 8: Bubbles
In front of the nose draw 3 bubbles floating up, small to big.
Step 9: Sand and seaweed
Draw a wavy sand line right across the bottom. Stand 2 pointy seaweeds on the left, 1 on the right.
Step 10: Orange fins and bands
Go over your lines. Colour the tail, fins and 3 bands orange, and the sand tan.
Step 11: Blue bubbles, green seaweed
Colour the bubbles light blue and the seaweed green.
Step 12: Blue body
Colour the body and head blue around the bands and side fin. Leave the eye white. Your mandarinfish is done!
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a mandarinfish, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
