How to Draw a Fish

In this lesson, we will show you in detail how to draw a fish, realistically depict its scales, and add volume using an academic approach.

For this lesson’s illustration, we chose a fairly classic-looking fish and used it to demonstrate all the methods and techniques used to depict it.

As usual, we will move from large general forms to overall details and then to more specific ones. We will also simplify excessive detail and apply the fundamental principles of visual art to drawing a fish.

Step by step, we will show how to construct a fish drawing, how to add volume, and at the end we will cover additional techniques to strengthen your drawing skills.

How to draw a fish step by step

Step 1: Sketch the fish body outline

Begin with the general basic outline of the fish by sketching it as an elongated oval. Fish can have very different appearances, so at this initial stage you should decide which specific variation you want to depict and outline the basic forms of that particular type.

Step 2: Draw the fish tail shape

At the rear part of the body, add the tail using very smooth lines, avoiding sharp angles except at the edges of the tail. The tail consists of the section that continues the torso and the caudal fin itself, which is made up of an upper and a lower part.

Step 3: Draw the fins of the fish

In the upper part, use general rough shapes to sketch the elongated dorsal fin. In the lower front part of the body, outline two short pelvic fins. Between the pelvic fins and the tail, draw another fin on the underside of the body.

Step 4: Mark the eye, mouth, and gill

In the front part of the body, sketch the eye without going into detail for now. Indicate the mouth with a single light stroke. On the side, draw the gills with a curved vertical line and add the pectoral fin, shaped somewhat like the pelvic fins from the previews step.

Step 5: Draw the fish eye in detail

The main basic forms are complete and the large masses are defined; now gradually begin adding details and creating volume in your fish drawing. Start with the eye by outlining it as a circle and drawing the pupil inside as a smaller circle.

Step 6: Refine the mouth and head contour

Now, using very smooth lines, draw the contour of the fish’s front of the head and add the mouth. Pay attention to the shape of the fish’s lips and how we outlined the contours to convey volume and form.

Step 7: Detail the fish gills

To correctly depict the gills, use slightly flowing, smooth lines rather than creating an overly perfect contour. Also add a few additional folds around the gills to suggest the texture of the scales in this area.

Step 8: Refine the pectoral and pelvic fins

To refine the pectoral and pelvic fins, avoid using perfectly straight, rigid lines. Instead, use slightly curved outlines to convey the organic nature of their form. With very light strokes, indicate the bases of these fins.

Step 9: Detail the dorsal and bottom fins

The dorsal fin of most fish looks like a long crest made up of many jagged or curved lines. Draw this part while avoiding an overly symmetrical or sharply defined contour, so the result does not appear artificial.

Step 10: Draw texture on the fish fins

The fins of a fish are supported by many thin rays that extend from the body toward the edges. Depict them with fine lines on the fins. Keep the spacing between them roughly even, but avoid making them too identical or mechanical in appearance.

Step 11: Refine the body and tail outlines

Refine and detail the outlines of the fish using smooth but not overly sharp lines. This helps convey the natural and realistic character of the fish’s form, which rarely consists of perfectly straight or overly precise contours.

Step 12: Draw texture on the pectoral and tail fins

Now add the same texture to the pectoral fin using lines that extend from the point of attachment toward the edge. On the tail, depict the texture in the same way, spreading like a fan from the base toward the outer edge of the tail.

Step 13: Draw scale texture on the fish

To add texture, it is not necessary to draw every single scale one by one in a strict pattern. Here it is better to apply the method of simplification and the basic principles of visual art by placing light, short, slightly curved lines across the body of the fish. As you draw this scale texture, remember that the fish has volume and form, and the scales should follow and support that structure.

Step 14: Strengthen the fish volume with shading

Assume that the light falls on the fish from above, which means you should shade the opposite planes of the body’s surfaces accordingly. Also add hatching to the inner surface of the mouth and the pupil, leaving a small highlight.

Step 15: Review and adjust the drawing

Check your entire fish drawing, reviewing the overall proportions and how the individual parts relate to the main mass. Examine the tonal balance and the relationship between light and shadow. Add final touches if necessary and correct any mistakes that may be present in the drawing.

Fish drawing exercises

Now comes perhaps the most important part—exercises that will help you diversify and strengthen your fish drawing skills.

Above, we showed the main pattern for applying academic drawing principles to construct a fish. Now use these principles to draw fish in different variations of form and in a variety of styles.

Repeat the same steps, but at each stage change the overall body shape, the major segments, and the details. Add slightly different textures and experiment with variations.

You can also create a series of quick sketches, setting a limit of one or two minutes for each sketch while repeating outlines and forms from references or from memory.

Another effective exercise is drawing other sea and ocean creatures that have similar forms. For example, you can draw a whale, which is not actually a fish but has a very similar overall shape due to sharing the same environment.

In the same way, you can practice drawing a shark, another species that has the same main body elements, even though it differs biologically from typical fish.

All of these exercises are primarily aimed at diversifying your drawing skills, reinforcing them through repetition, and building confidence and automaticity in your ability to draw.