How to Draw a Fish
One smooth curve is the whole body of this fish: an egg shape with its pointy end on the left, so the fish swims that way. Ask your child to press lightly. It is the line most likely to need a second go. Everything after it is a triangle, an arc or a circle, with no scales or frilly fins.
Fins, face and stripes
A big triangle tail goes on the back, then a fin on top and a second one underneath. Step four adds a side fin, a round eye with a pupil and a smiling mouth, and step five brings a gill line and three curvy stripes. Step six adds little bubbles in front of the mouth. If the tail comes out small, call it a baby fish and carry on.
Practice and extras
Whatever a child should add next is printed in orange. The parts from earlier boxes stay black. A small finished fish and the six instructions top the second page, above a large empty frame labeled for drawing. On this page a short animation of roughly 12 seconds draws the fish in the same order, and a dashed fish outline is there for a guided run first. The sheet is tagged for ages 6 to 8. Younger siblings can join in if a grown-up sketches alongside them. The A4 or US Letter PDF fits all six boxes without cropping, as long as it prints at 100 percent and is not rescaled.
Draw a fish in 6 steps
Draw an egg shape for the body, pointy end to the left.
Add a big triangle tail at the back.
Draw a fin on top and one underneath.
Add a side fin, a round eye with a pupil, and a smiling mouth.
Draw a gill line and three curvy stripes.
Finish with little bubbles in front of the mouth.
Tips to make your fish drawing easy
- Ask your child to press lightly on the egg shape, since it is the line most likely to need a second go.
- Cover the later boxes with a sheet of paper so only one step shows at a time.
- Name each part out loud as it appears: tail, top fin, belly fin, side fin, gill.
- If the tail comes out small, call it a baby fish and carry on.
- Once all six steps are done, add seaweed, sand or a few extra bubbles.
Fish outline to print and trace
Print the finished outline on its own: trace over it with a pencil to learn the shapes, or use the dashed tracing sheet for younger kids who are still building pencil control. Both fit A4 and US Letter.
Color your fish
Finished drawing? Print one of our 2 fish coloring pages to color the same character in 2 difficulty levels, or color your own drawing with the step sheet beside you.
More fish activities
Frequently asked questions
Why does the fish face to the left?
Step one puts the pointy end of the egg shape on the left, so the eye, mouth and bubbles all end up on that side. A child who wants a right-facing fish can mirror every step and the shapes stay the same.
How long is the drawing animation?
About 12 seconds. It draws the six steps in the same order as the printed grid, which shows a child where each new line goes.
Can I show my child one step at a time?
Yes. Cover the later boxes with a sheet of paper so only one step shows, and slide it down as each box is finished.
Can the finished fish be colored?
Yes. The stripes, fins and tail leave clear spaces for crayons. There is also a separate fish coloring page in an easy and a standard version if you would rather start from a printed picture.
About this printable
- Made with AI assistance (vector drawing authored by a language model) and checked by automated tests and an AI reviewer.
- Checked by automated tests and an AI reviewer on 22 Oct 2026.
- Free for personal and single-classroom use. See the license. Read the license · How these are made · Report a problem.
- Vector PDF, 2 pages, 186×254 mm art box — prints edge-safe on A4 and US Letter.
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