How to Draw a Tropical Fish

Step 1: Eye and smiley lips

Draw a huge eye. In front, draw 2 lip bumps and a smile from them, ending under the eye.

Tip Keep the eye left of the middle and huge, bigger than the lips.

Step 2: Tall disc body

From the lips, draw a tall rainbow over the eye, down to the tail end. Draw the tummy too.

Tip A tall flat disc, taller than long: almost a circle standing on edge.

Step 3: Lyre tail

From the back's end, draw a long curvy point up to a deep dent, then another down to the tummy.

Tip A lyre tail has 2 long curving points, like a crescent moon's tips.

Step 4: Flowing top fin

Start above the eye. Draw a fin along the back, thinner and thinner, ending in a point near the tail.

Tip Like a long leaf: wide near the head, pointed near the tail.

Step 5: Flowing belly fin

Start under the eye. Draw the same fin along the tummy, ending in a point near the tail.

Step 6: Gill

A finger behind the eye, draw a short C bowing toward the tail, not touching the back or belly.

Step 7: Side fin

Behind the gill, in the middle of the body, draw a small leaf fin pointing back, with 2 short rays.

Step 8: Three stripes

On the back half, draw 3 stripes down from back to tummy, each 2 close lines, skipping the fin.

Tip Keep the stripes thin, with wide yellow gaps between them.

Step 9: Bubbles

In front of the face, draw 3 bubbles floating up: small, bigger, biggest.

Step 10: Sand and seaweed

Draw a wavy sand line from edge to edge. On each side, draw a seaweed ribbon waving to a point.

Step 11: Yellow fish

Colour a pink cheek, then the body and lips yellow around it, not the stripes. Leave the eye white.

Step 12: Sand and bubbles

Colour the sand sandy, right down to the bottom of the paper, and the bubbles light blue.

Step 13: Blue fins, green seaweed

Colour the stripes, tail and all the fins blue, and the seaweed green. Your tropical fish is done!