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How to Draw a Pistol Shrimp
Draw a pistol shrimp in 11 easy steps, about 8 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: curved body.
Step 1: Curved body
In the middle, draw a long curved body like a comma, with a short pointy nose on the left.
Step 2: Eye and smile
At the front of the head, draw one big round eye with a black dot, and a tiny smile below.
Step 3: Neck and segments
Draw a curved neck line across the body behind the head, then 3 more curved lines across the back half.
Step 4: Antennae
From the front of the head, draw 2 long thin feelers sweeping up and forward, one longer than the other.
Step 5: Fan tail
At the tail end, draw a fan of 3 round paddles, the middle one longest.
Step 6: Little legs
Under the body, draw 3 thin legs, each bending once in the middle, feet pointing back.
Step 7: The ENORMOUS claw
Under the head, draw a thick arm with a huge mitten claw. Add a thin arm with a tiny pincer.
Tip The giant claw is its gun: it snaps shut so fast it goes BANG.
Step 8: Snap bubbles
In front of the claw, draw 3 round bubbles popping away from the tip, small to big, not touching it.
Step 9: Sand and bubbles
Draw a gently wavy sand line across the bottom of the paper. Add 3 bubbles floating up on the right.
Step 10: Peach shrimp, sandy floor
Colour the body, tail, legs and small arm peach, leaving the eye white. Colour the floor sandy.
Step 11: Blue bubbles, red claw
Colour all the bubbles light blue and the big claw arm red. Go over your lines!
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a pistol shrimp, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
