Hello, and welcome to another tutorial by Emily Drawing! Today’s tutorial is all about drawing the crayfish! We’ll go through nine easy steps to draw this sea creature.
Crayfish are crustaceans, and they’re also known as crawfish or crawdads. Their body is divided into the head, thorax, and abdomen, and they have a hardened outer shell that acts as a skeleton for protection. Crayfish are related to lobsters and shrimp.
A crayfish’s size depends on the species, with the Astacopsis gouldi being one of the largest. This crayfish can grow up to around 15.7 inches long and 8 pounds. One of the smallest crayfish species is the Cambarellus diminutus, and it only measures 0.98 inches long.
It’s time to get started on the tutorial for drawing a crayfish. Grab your colored pencils or markers, and learn how to draw this freshwater crustacean.
Materials:
- a piece of paper
- a pencil for the guiding lines and sketching
- an eraser
- a black Sharpie or a pen for the outlines
- markers or colored pencils for coloring
- our printable drawing guide (Join my Email List below to get this Tutorial)
Here are my RECOMMENDED Art Supplies!
- Crayola Coloring Set (140 Pieces – Mega Value!)
- 24 Colored Crayon Set
- A4 Printer Paper
- Crayola Coloring Pencils
- HP Home Printer with Instant Ink!
Time needed:
15 minutes.
How to Draw a Crayfish — Let’s get started!
Step 1 – Draw The Crayfish’s Head
Step one is to draw the crayfish’s head, which is more rounded on one end than the other. When looking at the tutorial, the head almost looks like a bullet.
Step 2 – Draw The Crayfish’s Abdomen
Next, you’ll add the crayfish’s abdomen. The abdomen is split into three rounded shapes, but this is good because it’s easier to draw. The first shape is the size of the end of the abdomen, while the second is slightly smaller, and the third is even smaller than the second shape.
Step 3 – Draw The Crayfish’s Tail
You’ll draw the tail at the end of the third shape from the previous step. The tail is just three round shapes. You can even draw these shapes as ovals. Together, the shapes create a fan-shaped tail, which the crayfish uses to quickly swim backward.
Step 4 – Draw The Crayfish’s Left Walking Legs
The next step is to draw the crayfish’s three left walking legs, which are also known as pereiopods. The legs are a good way to practice straight lines. This is a side view of the crayfish, so you won’t draw the right walking legs. Fun fact: Crayfish use their walking legs for locomotion, mating, and searching for good.
Step 5 – Draw The Crayfish’s Large Legs
Now, you’ll draw both the crayfish’s large legs. These legs are in the front, and they’re bigger than the other tree legs. When you look at the tutorial images, it almost looks like you’re drawing the end of a ribbon for the legs, but you still need to add the claws.
Step 6 – Draw The Crayfish’s Chelipeds
Speaking of which, it’s time to add the large gloves, also known as chelipeds. You can think of it as the crayfish’s hands. Crayfish use their chelipeds to capture prey, cut their food, and defend themselves against predators.
Step 7 – Draw The Crayfish’s Pincers
The claws are not complete without the small, pointy pincers. While the pincers are smaller than the actual claws, they’re very useful for finding food. Crayfish use their pincers to search and catch food in small areas such as holes and cracks.
Step 8 – Draw The Crayfish’s Face and Antennas
Now, you’ll draw the crayfish’s face and antennas. While this is more of a side view, it’s also an aerial view, so you’ll only draw the two dots for eyes. In addition, you’ll draw the two antennas on the crayfish’s head. The antennas are used for exploring, locating, and attacking, as well as maintaining balance and sensing the water.
Step 9 – Color In Your Drawing!
The last step is to color your crayfish drawing. We used a fairly simple color scheme for our crayfish. The entire body is the same shade of red, while details such as the eyes are black. It adds color while sticking to the usual scheme. We also encourage you to color the background of your picture. This way, you can create a colorful landscape for your crayfish, whether it’s swimming underwater or exploring the beach.
Pin it now, Draw later!
Interesting Facts About The Crayfish
The crayfish’s location depends on the species. Cambarellus diminutus are usually found in the southeastern United States. Meanwhile, the Astacopsis gouldi can be found in Tasmania.
Crayfish thrive in freshwater, such as rivers, brooks, and streams, and they cannot live in polluted water because they have weak immune systems. They prefer to live in fast-moving oxygenated environments. Additionally, they can breathe on land for a limited time, such as several days, as long as their gills stay moist.
Did You Know?
- Crayfish shed their shell as they grow, and this process is called molting. Molting usually happens daily for young crayfish and weekly or monthly as they get older.
- Crayfish can regenerate their lost limbs, but those limbs are frequently misshapen or smaller than the original.
- Crayfish are not picky eaters. Their varied diet consists of living and decaying plant matter, snails, small fish, insects, and dead organic material.
- The average lifespan of crayfish depends on the species. While most live two to four years, species such as the Tasmanian crayfish can live up to 20 years.
- Their lifespan also depends on reproduction. Male crayfish typically die after mating at two years. Female crayfish die after hatching their young, which is also usually at two years old.
We hope you had fun with our “How To Draw A Crayfish” tutorial. You’re welcome to share your drawing with us by posting on social media with #EmilyDrawing! If you’re interested in drawing other animals, check out the tutorials on our site. We offer a variety of simple drawing tutorials.
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