Hello, and welcome to another tutorial by Emily Drawing! Today’s tutorial is all about drawing the fish, most specifically, a goldfish! We’ll go through nine easy steps to draw this common but amazing sea animal.
The size of a fish, including a goldfish, depends on the species, habitat, and captivity. In the wild, goldfish are usually 4.7 to 8.7 inches long, but they can grow up to 16 inches and 5 pounds. Goldfish in captivity are usually 2.5 to 15 cm long, but they can grow up to 6 inches in large aquariums.
The Twisty Tailed goldfish is the smallest type, measuring 6 inches long. A fancy goldfish can grow up to 8 inches long, while a single tail goldfish can reach 10 inches.
It’s time to get started on the tutorial for drawing a fish. Grab your colored pencils or markers, and learn how to draw this sea creature.
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 Fish — Let’s get started!
Step 1 – Draw The Fish’s Backside
In an interesting twist, you’re going to start with the fish’s backside for this tutorial. This makes it easier to add the rest of the body. All you need to draw is a round shape, almost oval-like (horizontally), with the front side open.
Step 2 – Draw The Fish’s Head
Next, you’ll draw the fish’s head by adding another round shape. The line that goes in the open space curves slightly inward, while the other side features the fish’s mouth. Did you know that fishes breathe through their gills? The gills absorb oxygen from the water, which is why they require clean, fish water to breathe.
Step 3 – Draw The Fish’s Tail
Now, you’ll add the fish’s tail to the back of the body. The tail is almost a rounded triangle shape. It resembles a single tail, and it is used to propel them through the water. It can also be used for steering and changing direction while swimming.
Step 4 – Draw The Fish’s Dorsal Fin
The next step is to draw the top fin, also known as a dorsal fin, on the fish’s back. This is another rounded, almost triangular, shape and very easy to draw. The dorsal fin provides stability as fish move through the water.
Step 5 – Draw The Fish’s Pelvic Fin
Draw the fish’s bottom fins, also known as pelvic fins, on the bottom of its body. You’ll only draw one bottom fin for this tutorial. It looks similar to the dorsal fin, only it’s smaller and sticks out downward. The pelvic fins are used for steering and stability.
Step 6 – Draw The Fish’s Pectoral Fin
Next, you’ll add the side fin, also known as the pectoral fin, which is used for swimming. You’re drawing a side view of the fish, so you’ll only add one pectoral fin. The pectoral fin allows fish to move forward, quickly change direction, and brake.
Step 7 – Draw The Fish’s Details
Now, you’ll add the fish’s details, starting with one dot for its eye. You’ll also add several lines to the top and bottom fins to represent the scales.
Step 8 – Draw The Fish’s Scales
The last step of the drawing tutorial is to draw several curved lines on the fish’s body. Just like the previous step, these lines represent the fish’s scales. Goldfish have three main types of scales: metallic, matte, and nacreous.
Step 9 – Color In Your Drawing!
Wait, there’s one more step of your tutorial! It’s time to color in your drawing! As you can see, we’ve chosen to color a goldfish. The body is a lighter shade of orange than the fins, and the eyes and other details are black. You also want to color in your background to create the fish’s environment. This includes a beautiful aquarium or the breathtaking ocean. You can choose whichever type of environment you’d like for your picture.
Pin it now, Draw later!
Interesting Facts About Fish (Specifically The Goldfish)
Goldfish are native to Eastern Asia and parts of Eurasia, but they’ve been introduced to other countries throughout the years, including North America in the 1600s. They can be found in areas such as freshwater lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds.
Furthermore, goldfish are social and travel in schools for protection. They spend all of their time together and feel stressed when separated. This also means they welcome new goldfish into their group, but they must be introduced carefully and slowly when in captivity.
Did You Know?
- Outside of captivity, goldfish can adapt to various environments, but they do prefer areas with enough aquatic vegetation. There is a lot to consider when keeping a goldfish in an aquarium, such as keeping the water temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and the pH between 7 and 8.4.
- Goldfish are freshwater fish and cannot thrive in saltwater.
- Goldfish are omnivorous bottom feeders, and their diet includes algae, zooplankton, and small invertebrates. In captivity, you can maintain their diet with pellets, flakes, frozen, and freeze-dried food.
- In captivity, goldfish can live 10 to 15 years. With proper care, some types can live up to 30 years. In the wild, they usually live 20 to 30 years, with some living up to 41 years.
We hope you enjoyed our “How To Draw A Fish” tutorial. We encourage you to share your drawing with us, which you can do by posting on social media with #EmilyDrawing! If you’re interested in drawing other sea animals, or even land animals, browse through the tutorials on our site. We offer a wide range of east drawing tutorials.
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