How to draw a goldfish

Step 1 of 45Guide lines

Pip's guides

Pip has left the pond and is swimming down a clear stream. Start light: a long oval for his body, and a circle inside its front end for his head.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 11.

Step 2 of 45Guide lines

Fin and tail guides

A tent for the top fin, its peak above the oval's back third. Two lines fanning from the oval's back end for the tail, and one slanting down from its bottom for the big fin.

Draw these lightly: they’re only there to help, and you’ll rub them out in step 11.

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His lips

Now the ink, at the front of the oval. His top lip is one long loop from the corner of his mouth; then the bottom lip under it, and a tiny smile line.

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His head and back

From the top of his lips, curve up just outside the head circle and over its top. Then along his back, just inside the top of the oval, to where the top tail line begins.

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The top fin

Now the top fin, on the tent: from its front corner on his back, up the long front edge to its point, then down its wavy back edge to his back again.

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The tail

The tail: from his back out along the top line to its point, in to the notch, out to the bottom point and back along the lower line. Then a fold under the top point.

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His chin and belly

From under his bottom lip, curve down under his chin and along his belly, round the bottom of the oval, to the slanting fin guide.

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The fin underneath

Under his belly, the big fin on its line: from the end of his belly, down its front edge, along its wavy bottom to the point, and back up under the oval.

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The small fin

From the back of the big fin, carry his belly lifting away inside the oval to where the low tail line starts, going round a small fin halfway. Then a short line across its top.

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Where his head ends

One long curve round the right side of the head circle, from near its top down to his chin.

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Erase the guides

Rub out the guide shapes now, before the details go on top of them. His outline and the curve where his head ends stay.

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A bump and a nostril

A little round bump on his forehead, just above his lips, and behind it a small open oval for his nostril.

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His eye

His big eye: the outline from its pointed corner, round and back. Inside, the iris: an open ring from near that corner, up over the top and down the right side.

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The glint and pupil

A small glint circle at the top right of the iris. Then the pupil, from the glint's top round to the left, under and back up to the glint.

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Round his eye

Two short curves just outside his eye: one down its right side, and one under it, rising to the right.

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His cheek

His cheek: a curve from the eye's top right, round under the eye. Then a V from partway down it to the head's edge, and below it a line from that edge, under his cheek.

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The side fin

The side fin lies across his body, starting just behind his cheek. From its front corner, along its top edge to the point, then back along its bottom edge.

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The first scales

Now the scales, like roof tiles. Behind the curve where his head ends: a short row up top, four long wavy rows down and up, a short one, then a last long one.

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More scales

Five more rows under the front half of the top fin, down one and up the next, between his back and the side fin or his belly.

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Scales under the side fin

Nine little scales under the side fin, along his belly, from the front: small curves hooking down.

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Further back

Six rows under the back half of the top fin, down and up again. His body gets narrower, so the bumps get a little smaller.

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The last scales

Twelve short rows of small scales, down and up, on to where the tail begins.

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Lines on the top fin

Fourteen thin lines on the top fin, each from his back out towards its edge, the front one first.

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Lines on the tail

Fifteen long lines fanning out from where the tail begins, top to bottom.

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Lines on the fins underneath

Five lines across the small fin, each from where it joins him, then seven down the big fin underneath, from its front edge back.

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Lines on the side fin

Five lines along the side fin, each from where it joins his body out towards its point, the top one first.

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The dragonfly

Above the water at the top left, a dragonfly skims along. Its long thin body is a narrow loop from its lower right end, slanting up to the left.

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Its wings

Four wings from the body's lower right end: one up to the right and one out to the right, then one out to the left under the body and one down to the left.

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Its eyes and legs

At the dragonfly's lower right end, two little round eyes side by side. Then three thin legs: two hanging under its body, and one from the second eye's side.

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The water's surface

The surface: two wavy lines on top from the left, a short one under the second, a third to the right. Lower: a line at the left, two ripples under the dragonfly, two lines right.

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Pebbles in front

The stream bed. Eight smooth pebbles along the bottom, left to right, each a soft round loop; where one sits against the one before, start and stop on that pebble's edge.

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Weed on the left

Water weed grows up between the pebbles. On the left, five long strands that cross as they sway, each from its foot up to its tip.

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Weed in the middle

Under the tail, three blades of weed from one root, left to right: a short one leaning left, a tall one, one curling right. Draw each as its two edges, root to tip.

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Strands behind the tail

From the big pebble on the right, three short strands go up to the tail. Above it, two long strands crossing as they climb to their tips, then a short one leaning in to them.

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Pebbles behind

The stream bed behind, left to right: a short line at the far left, half a pebble above the others, twelve pebble curves peeping over and between the front ones, two lines at the right.

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Go over his lips and bump

Now press harder, on Pip only: round his lips from their front to the corner, then the little bump on his forehead. The tiny smile line stays light.

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Go over his head and back

From the front of his lips, up over his head and along his back, then over the top fin from its back end.

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Go over his tail

Then the little fold under the tail's top point. Then from where his back ends, round the tail to the bottom of its root.

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Go over his belly

From the bottom of the tail's root, back along his belly and round the small fin, to the big fin.

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Go over the big fin and chin

Then round the big fin underneath and along his chin to his lips. The scales and fin lines stay lighter.

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Shading his head

Shading now, in light layers: soft tones round the top of his eye and under it, a band along his cheek, and a strip behind the curve where his head ends, darker at its foot.

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Shading his body

On his body: a touch in the top fin, soft patches along his belly between the two fins, and a darker line down the front edge of the big fin underneath.

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Shading his tail

On the tail: a tone in the flap behind the top point, long streaks along its lower half, and a touch at the bottom point.

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Shading the stream

The stream stays lighter than Pip, so he stands out: a touch on the dragonfly's lower wing, down one side of each weed, and along the bottom of each pebble.

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The darks

Last of all, fill in Pip's pupil, leaving the glint white.