How to draw an axolotl and tadpoles

Step 1 of 47Guide lines

Big shapes first

The tadpoles have hatched, and Mochi is racing them. Start light: an oval for her head, another for her body that stops at the head, and a curve rising through the middle of her tail.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 29.

Step 2 of 47Guide lines

Leg guides

A line down the middle of three legs: bent for the near front leg below her gills, straight and slanting for the far one on the left, and bent for the back leg.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 29.

Step 3 of 47

Mochi's head

Now the real lines. From the top right of Mochi's head, over the top, round her nose and back under her jaw.

Step 4 of 47

Mochi's eye

Her eye, high on her head just right of the middle: an almond from its left corner, a round iris, a tall pupil, a glint at its top right, a line under, a brow above.

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Her far eye

Her far eye just peeks over her snout, so only its edge shows: a curve down its side with a flick at the bottom, a thin curve inside it, and a short line above.

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Her nose

Two little nostrils low on her snout: one at the very front, one just behind it. Then three small oval freckles above them.

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Mochi's smile

Her big smile, from the left corner along to a little curl at the right end. Then the open mouth: from under the smile, two-thirds along, round to the left corner, and her tongue.

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The first far gill

The gills are like ferns. On top of her head, left of her eye, a thin stalk up and back, then a frilly line up its left side, round the tip and down its right.

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The second far gill

The taller far gill, just to its right, the same way: its stalk out and back, then the frilly line up one side, round the tip and back down the other.

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The tall near gill

Now the three near gills, at the top of her neck. The tall one leans up and right: its stalk out and back, then its frilly line up one side, round the tip and down.

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The middle near gill

The middle one reaches out to the right, under the tall one: its stalk, then the frilly line along one side, round the tip and back along the other.

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The low near gill

The low one points straight back: its stalk from her neck out to the tip and back, then a frilly line along its top, and another back underneath.

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Her back and tail

From under the gills, along her back, above the tail guide, to its tip. Round the tip, then back below the guide along the tail's underside to where her back leg will go.

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The fin

The fin sits just above her back: from the gills, up over the tail, round past the tip and back underneath. Then a short crease from the fin down to her back.

Step 15 of 47

The near front leg

Her near front leg, round its guide, in one line: from under her neck, down its front, round the three fingers and up its back to the shoulder.

Step 16 of 47

The near back leg

Her near back leg: a curve at the hip first, then in one line along its top, round the four toes and back along its underside to her belly.

Step 17 of 47

Her belly

Now her belly, between the legs: from the back leg along to the near front leg, then on from its other side to under her chin.

Step 18 of 47

The far front leg

The far front leg hangs behind her belly, on the left, in one line: down its front, round the three fingers and up its back to her belly.

Step 19 of 47

The far back leg

The far back leg peeks under her belly: its right side down to the toes, then its left side down from her belly, under the foot and round the end toe, and two toe lines.

Step 20 of 47

Folds at her neck

Soft folds make her look round: a short line under her chin on the left, three curves down her neck below the gills, and five little curves round the top of her near front leg.

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Folds at her hip

Two short curves at her hip, then a faint line along her side, from the hip forward towards her shoulder.

Step 22 of 47

Lines on the fin

Fine lines across the fin above her tail, from her back out to the edge, leaning the same way.

Step 23 of 47

Lines under the tail

And the same below the tail, from its underside out to the fin's edge, from the tip all the way back to the leg.

Step 24 of 47

The first tadpole

The top tadpole, right of her back foot, as long as her back leg: round its tail, over its head, to its belly and leg. Then fin, a tick where the tail joins, smile, eye.

Step 25 of 47

The second tadpole

The second, bigger, below and right: from under its tail round the tip, over its head, under the chin and round its leg. Then fin, a tick where the tail joins, smile, eye.

Step 26 of 47

The plant on the left

Below her, on the left, from the right-hand leaf across: each leaf up one side, round the tip and down, then its middle line; last a small low leaf, its middle line, and the ground.

Step 27 of 47

The plant on the right

On its right, a wavy leaf, then the tall wavy one, each with its middle line. Then a pebble, the ground along to the roots, a pebble under them, and last a tiny sprout.

Step 28 of 47

Bubbles

Last, bubbles rising through the water: above her back from left to right, then the trail by her tail from the top down, some with a curve of light, one just a little curve.

Step 29 of 47

Erase the guides

Rub out the guides. Mochi, the tadpoles and the garden stay.

Step 30 of 47

Go over her head and back

Now press harder on Mochi's outline: from the gills, over her head, round her nose and under her jaw. Then along her back, round the tail's tip and back along its underside to the leg.

Step 31 of 47

Go over her belly and front legs

Then along her belly, from the back legs to her chin, and round both front legs: the far one, then the near one.

Step 32 of 47

Go over her back legs

Round the back legs: the far one from her belly, round its foot and back up, then the near one from underneath, round its toes and along its top. Leave the far toe lines light.

Step 33 of 47

Go over the fin

Then the fin's edge in one long sweep, up over the tail, round the tip and back underneath.

Step 34 of 47

Go over the tadpoles

And round each tadpole's body and tail. The gills, plants, pebbles and bubbles stay light.

Step 35 of 47

Shading the top

Shading now, soft and light. A tone on the taller far gill, one at the base of the tall near gill, a touch above her eye, and along the low fin on her back.

Step 36 of 47

Under her jaw

A soft tone inside her open mouth, a big one under her jaw and down her throat, and one on the far front leg.

Step 37 of 47

Deeper under her chin

Then press a little harder right under the chin and the throat.

Step 38 of 47

Shading her side

A soft tone along the lower half of her body, from her front legs back towards her hip, a touch behind the gills, and down the top of her near front leg.

Step 39 of 47

Her back legs

A little tone on each back leg, where it tucks under her body.

Step 40 of 47

The deepest shadows

Press a little harder low on her belly, by the back legs, and at the base of the gills.

Step 41 of 47

Shading her tail

A tone along the lower half of the tail, following its curve, and a little in the fin above it.

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Towards the tip

Carry the tone on towards the tip, and a little into the fin above.

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Deeper on the tail

Then a little darker under the tail, near its base.

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The tadpoles

The tadpoles are darker all over: a soft tone on their bodies and tails, a little deeper underneath.

Step 45 of 47

Plants and pebbles

The shadow side of the wavy leaf on the right, and the underside of the big pebble.

Step 46 of 47

Under the pebbles

A little shadow round the pebbles, so the plants sit on the floor. Mochi swims, so there is no shadow under her.

Step 47 of 47

The darks

Last of all, fill Mochi's tall pupil, leaving the glint beside it white. Now she is racing her new friends.