How to draw a fish in water

Step 1 of 54Guide lines

Pip's guides

Pip is hiding under a rock ledge, keeping perfectly still, while something watches from above. Start light: a long oval for his body, tipped up at the front, and a circle for his head.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 14.

Step 2 of 54Guide lines

Fin and tail guides

A tent on his back for the top fin. Two lines fanning out from the oval's left end for the big tail, and one slanting down from its bottom for the fin underneath.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 14.

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His head and back

Now Pip's outline: from his snout's tip, at the head circle's right, curve up along the body oval's top, over the head circle and along his back to where the top tail line starts.

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The top fin

The top fin, on the tent: from where it leaves his back, along its top to the point, then down its wavy back edge to his back again.

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The side fin

Pip's side fin hangs in front of his body, under the head circle's bottom left. From its top, down its left side to the rounded tip, and back up its right side.

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His chin

Back at Pip's snout: from just under the tip, down under his chin along the body oval's edge, just inside the head circle, to the top of the side fin.

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Where his head ends

Where Pip's head ends: one long curve along the left of the head circle, from below his back, down and round its bottom, stopping just above his chin.

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The tail and belly

Pip's tail: from the end of his back, out along the top tail line to the point, in to the notch, out to the bottom point, then back along his belly to the side fin.

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The fins underneath

Pip's big fin hangs on its line, left of the side fin: down its left side, round the tip and up its right side. Then the small fin further left, the same way round.

Step 10 of 54Guide lines

The heron's guides

The heron, peering down: a circle for its head near the top, up and right of Pip's head. A beak line slanting down left to above his head, and an S along its neck's middle.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 14.

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The heron's head

From the tip of the beak line, up the beak's top edge, then up its forehead and over its head, off the top of the page.

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Under its beak and neck

From the tip again: up the beak's lower edge and its throat, then down round the bend, below the S curve, and out to the right edge of the page.

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The back of its neck

The back of the heron's neck, above the S curve: a deep curve from the top of the page, right of its head, down round the bend and back up.

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Erase the guides

Rub out the guide shapes now, before the details go on. Pip's outline and the heron's stay.

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His eye

Pip's big eye, close under his head's top, nearer his snout than his head's end curve: a circle from the top, an iris ring in its top half, a glint in the iris's top left.

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Round his eye

A worried brow over Pip's eye: from above its top, down round its left side. Then a short line under the eye, on its right, sloping down to the left.

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Nostril and mouth

A tiny curl for Pip's nostril, right of the eye. Then his turned-down mouth under the snout: from its right end down to the left, curling up at its end.

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His cheek

Pip's cheek: a curve from under the eye, down and round to the right, and a long line inside the head's end curve, down to a point and up. Then a short chin line.

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The first scales

Now Pip's scales: wavy lines just left of his head curve, each one's bumps touching the line before to close little scales. Ten, all drawn down; the last four are short, by his belly.

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More scales

Nine more wavy lines of Pip's scales under the front of his top fin, working to the left, each drawn down. Three start partway down, on the line before.

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Further back

Seven more wavy lines of Pip's scales under his top fin's back half, working left, each drawn down. His body gets narrower, so the curves get smaller.

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The last scales

Eight last wavy lines of Pip's scales, the smallest, working left to where his tail begins, each drawn down. Short ones start on the line before.

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Lines on the top fin

Fourteen thin lines across Pip's top fin, each from where it leaves his back out to the left, the top one first. The last two share a start: one out, one down its back edge.

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Lines on the tail

Twenty-two lines on Pip's tail, each drawn outwards, fanning from the top point down to the bottom one. A few start a little way out, most in pairs from one spot.

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Lines on the fins underneath

Lines on Pip's fins underneath, each from where it joins him: six on the small fin, seven on the big fin, then the side fin's right edge, by his chin, and four inside it.

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The heron's brow

Back to the heron. Its brow: one long line from where its beak meets its head, curving up just inside its forehead and off the top of the page.

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The heron's eye

The heron's eye, just under the brow line: a small circle from the top, staring down, then a short curve down its right side, and a line from under it rising to a point.

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Lines on its head

Up the heron's beak's middle, from the tip to the eye's lower line. Then four marks: one from its head's top down to the brow, left of the eye; two by the beak; a nostril.

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Feathers on its neck

Seven short feathers along the underside of the heron's neck, left to right, from under its head round the bend.

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The rock ledge

The ledge over Pip: from his top fin's point, right along its underside to the corner by the heron's beak, round and back along its top. Then its far edge, on out to the left.

Step 31 of 54

The hollow

The hollow behind Pip: first the rock's long edge, far left, top down. Then the arch from his top fin's point, left and down to it, a short slope, two cracks: one up, one down.

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The rock face

The rock face, right of Pip's head: a long line down, from level with his eye. Then one from the ledge's corner down to it, a short one beside that, one more on the right.

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Lines on the ledge

Six thin lines on the ledge: three short ones along its top, left to right. Then a long one from the right end back to the left, and two short ones dropping from it.

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Pebbles

The stream bed under Pip: fourteen rounded pebbles, left to right, from under his tail to the foot of the rock face. Some sit touching in little heaps.

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The stream bed

Seven short wavy lines along the stream bed, between and behind Pip's pebbles, from the left to the right.

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The water's surface

Above the ledge, the water's surface: one long wavy line right across the page, behind the heron's beak, then a second wavy line weaving over it, in four pieces from left to right.

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Go over his head and back

Now press harder, on Pip's outline only. From his snout, over his head and along his back to the tail, then round the top fin from where it leaves his back.

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Go over his tail

Then round Pip's tail the way you drew it: out along its top edge, round both points and back along his belly to the side fin.

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Go over his fins and chin

Pip's side fin all the way round, from its top, as you drew it. Then his chin from the snout down to it, then the big fin and the small fin.

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Go over the heron

Press a little harder on the heron, as you drew it: from the beak's tip up over its head; from the tip again, under the beak and neck; then the back of its neck.

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Under the ledge

Shading now, with the light from above. A soft, light tone under the ledge, on both sides of Pip's top fin, with a darker touch at each end.

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The rock face

A light tone down the rock face right of Pip's head, from the ledge's corner, following its slope, with a darker touch at its edge.

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Further down the rock

And on down the rock to the stones at its foot, with one more darker touch by its edge.

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The stones

A soft tone on the stones at the foot of the rock, on their shadow sides.

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The stream bed

Then a light, streaky tone along the stream bed, and a darker touch in the crack in the rock at the far left.

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The hollow above him

Now the dark hollow, pressing harder: above Pip's tail and up to his top fin, so they stand out pale against it.

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Over his head

Then the dark on under the ledge, over Pip's head, and down beside his snout.

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Beside his tail

Down the left of the hollow, beside Pip's tail, keeping the tone even.

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Under his tail and belly

Under Pip's tail and small fin, right up to their edges, and on under his belly to the big fin.

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Under his chin

Then the dark under Pip's chin and his fins underneath, out to the rock face.

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Shading Pip

Just a little tone on Pip himself: along his chin, under his jaw and along his belly. The rest of him stays white, the brightest thing here.

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Shading the heron

Keep the heron light, so it stays in the background: just a soft tone on the top of its head, above the eye.

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Along its neck

Then a soft tone along the underside of its neck, from the bend out to the edge of the page.

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The darks

Last, the pupils: fill Pip's round pupil, most of his iris, leaving the glint white at its left, then a small dot low in the heron's eye. Pip sees the heron; it hasn't seen him.