Easy drawing · step by step

How to draw an axolotl

Meet Mochi. In 15 easy steps you’ll draw a cute axolotl with frilly gills, a wide happy smile and a long tail, using a pencil and paper: two circles and a curve to start, then the gills, the legs and soft shading.

15 steps
Beginner
Pencil and paper

Or follow the steps

A finished pencil drawing of a cute axolotl with frilly gills, big eyes, a wide smile and a long finned tail — Mochi, finished

You’ll need

A pencil (an HB is fine)
Paper
An eraser

Draw an axolotl, step by step

This step’s lines
Already drawn

Draw everything in pencil: the blue only shows what’s new in each step. Save all 15 steps to Pinterest

STEP 1Guide lines
Head, body and tail guides
Start light: a big circle for the head on the right, a smaller one for the body behind it, and a long curve out to the left for the tail.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 10.
STEP 2Guide lines
Leg guides
Three short lines for the legs you can see: one at the back, and two at the front.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 10.
STEP 3Outline
The head
Now the outline: the big round head, from under the chin up round the front, then over the top, and the line underneath.
STEP 4Outline
The eyes
Two big round eyes: a circle for each, a pupil inside, and a little circle for the glint. The far one is smaller. Just outlines for now.
STEP 5Outline
The smile
A wide happy smile, open, with a little line for the tongue.
STEP 6Outline
The gills
The frilly gills: three leafy fronds on each side of the head, fanning out. Take your time, a few small bumps each.
STEP 7Outline
The body
Along the back from the head, and the soft belly underneath.
STEP 8Outline
The tail
The long tail with its fin, and a few light lines across the fin.
STEP 9Outline
The legs
Three little legs, each with tiny fingers spread out.
STEP 10Clean lines
Erase the guides
Rub out the circles and guide lines. Only the axolotl stays.
STEP 11Clean lines
Go over the outline
Now press harder and go over the outside edge of the whole axolotl, so it stands out from the lines inside.
STEP 12Shading
Shadow side
The light comes from the top left. Shade the side away from it with a soft, even tone. Keep most of it white.
STEP 13Shading
Cast shadow
A soft shadow on the ground underneath, so it lies on the page.
STEP 14Shading
Deep shadows
Press a little harder in the deepest places: under the chin, under the belly and on the far legs.
STEP 15Shading
The darks
Last of all, fill in the eyes, leaving the glints white.

Tips for a better axolotl

Two circles and a curve
A big circle for the head, a smaller one for the body and a long curve for the tail. Keep them light: they get rubbed out in step 10.
A wide happy smile
A wide, open smile with a little line for the tongue gives an axolotl its cheerful face.
Frilly gills, slowly
Three leafy fronds on each side, fanning out, each with a few small bumps.
Tiny spread fingers
Three little legs, each with tiny fingers spread out.
Fill the eyes last
Fill in the eyes last of all, leaving a white glint in each.

Mochi’s world has 9 more drawings

DrawRabbit has 95 narrated drawings in 10 worlds, from axolotls to dragons. You draw each one with a real pencil and paper, and the first drawing in every world is free.

The snail
The tadpole race
Moss ball friends
Mochi’s garden

Free to start · iPhone and iPad

Questions

Is this axolotl easy to draw?

Yes. It starts with two circles and a curve, so the shape is right before you add any detail. The frilly gills are the fun part.

What do I need?

A pencil, paper and an eraser. Draw the first steps lightly: the guide lines are rubbed out in step 10.

How do I draw an axolotl’s gills?

Three leafy fronds on each side of the head, fanning out. Take your time and give each a few small bumps along its edge: they’re what make it an axolotl.

Can kids draw it?

Yes. It’s made for beginners of any age. If reading the steps is hard, the draw-along talks you through each line while it draws.

What is DrawRabbit?

A drawing app for iPhone and iPad: narrated, step-by-step lessons you follow with a real pencil and paper. 95 drawings in 10 worlds, free to start, no account needed.

Made by DrawRabbit, from the app’s own narrated lesson: the step pictures are drawn by the same stroke-by-stroke player. Updated 21 October 2026.