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How to Draw a Mermaid

13 steps · Medium · about 10 min

Draw a mermaid in 13 easy steps, about 10 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: egg head.

Step 1: Egg head
Near the top, in the middle, draw an egg head, a little narrower at the chin.
Tip Leave most of the page below for the body and long tail.
Step 2: The face
Below the middle, draw 2 round eyes with shines and tiny eyelashes. Add a U nose, smile and eyebrows.
Step 3: Hair and fringe
Start on the left side by the eyebrows. Draw hair over the top to the right, plus a fringe.
Tip Rub out the head line inside the hair.
Step 4: Long flowing hair
On each side of the head, draw long hair from the temple down to the chest and back up.
Step 5: Neck and body
Draw 2 neck lines under the chin. From the left line, draw the body out, down, across and up.
Tip Rub out the hair lines inside the body.
Step 6: Shell top
Across the chest, from side to side, draw a bumpy shell line with a smooth line under it.
Step 7: Arms
From each shoulder, draw a line down to the wrist. Draw a second line beside it, up to the waist.
Tip Arms are narrower at the wrist than at the top.
Step 8: Mitten hands
Start at each outer arm line. Draw a round mitten with a thumb and stop at the inner line.
Step 9: Fish tail
Start at the left hip. Draw a slim tail down, flick out 2 fins, back up to the right hip.
Step 10: Scales and ground
Draw rows of U scales on the tail. From the left, draw a ground line ending on the right.
Tip Each scale starts and stops on the tail edges.
Step 11: Peach skin, pink cheeks
Colour the face, neck, body, arms and hands peach. Add a pink circle on each cheek. Leave the eyes white.
Step 12: Ginger hair
Colour all the hair ginger, around the face and behind the neck.
Step 13: Teal tail, purple top
Go over your lines. Colour the tail and fins teal, and the top purple.