36 Easy Fish Drawing Tutorials

Friend or foe? You can decide as you sketch this smiling shark. Hint: sharks may not always be friendly, but they are vital to the health of ocean ecosystems.

Bring home a new fishy friend in this fishbowl. The bowl itself is round in classic style. It is decorated with sand, rocks, plants, and a clam with a pearl inside. Do you think the angelfish will soon outgrow its bowl?

The swordfish was named for its long, swordlike snout. It has a long, tapering body and sharply angled fins.

This common clownfish has stripes on its body and dark bands on its fins. You can give it an anemone to live in in the underwater scene below.

This tropical reef fish is called a copperband butterflyfish. It has a classic angelfish body shape with bold stripes and an eyespot on its dorsal fin.

Once you've mastered the fishbowl, above, you might be ready to take on a larger aquarium. This one is filled with sand, rocks, seaweed, coral, a clam, two goldfish, and a classic castle decoration.

Hammerheads are one of the strangest-looking sharks. They were so named because their flat heads have eyestalks protruding out from each side.

Bettas are a favorite choice for a small fishbowl. These freshwater fish have been bred for their long, flowing fins and flamboyant colors.

Once you've mastered the easy fish, below, you can use this cartoon fish as a stepping stone to more complex drawings. This character has large eyes and a smiling mouth.

Baby Dory is irresistibly adorable with her huge eyes and innocent smile. You will fall in love with this drawing even if she can't remember your name. Don't forget to check out the adult Dory below.

You might begin to hear heartbeat-like music in a quickening staccato as you draw this toothy shark. Unlike the other sharks on this list, this one is at a unique angle, as if you are viewing the fish from below.

Dory is a palette surgeonfish, a tropical reef fish with black stripes on its body and bright triangle-shaped markings on its fins and tail. Don't forget to check out baby Dory, above.

Seahorses may look strange with their upright postures, horse-like heads, bulging bellies, and curled tails, but they are actually a type of fish.

Great white sharks are big - prehistoric megalodon sharks are even bigger. This picture includes two modern dolphins for a size comparison.

All of your favorite fish sketches can live in this underwater scene. Here you will find staghorn coral, sea anemones, sponges, seaweed, starfish, jellyfish, and angelfish.

Tiger sharks are so named because of the tiger-like stripes across their backs. They are also agile hunters that keep the coral reef food chain in balance.

Many goldfish have been bred for unique body structures, such as long fins, bulging cheeks, or protruding lips. You can sketch all of these features on this fish.

Stingrays are a type of flat fish closely related to sharks. Their mouths appear to smile, and their eyes are located on top of their body. They also have winglike fins and a tail with a sharp, poisonous barb at its base.

If you want to improve your animal drawing skills, it's good to start with the basics. This simple fish has a teardrop-shaped body, rectangular fins, and a lobed triangular tail.

Koi are a type of carp. They are related to goldfish. Bred for beauty, koi display long fins, colorful patterns, and glistening scales.

You won't get catfished by this freshwater fish. Catfish are named for the barbels around their mouths that resemble a cat's whiskers.

This realistic goldfish looks as if you could put him in your fishbowl. It has long, elegant fins and scaly details.

Salmon are unique in that they split their time between the ocean and freshwater rivers. In fact, they perform amazing feats, even leaping up waterfalls to return to their birthplace. Find the salmon's freshwater cousin, the trout, below.

Bass are another iconic North American freshwater fish. Two common species are largemouth bass and smallmouth bass - which one do you think this is?

Baby sharks have to come from somewhere - their parents are adult sharts like this one. This easy outline shows the shark's teardrop-shaped body and triangular fins.

Ponds are often home to ornamental or native freshwater fish, like the one you see swimming in this one. You can also check out other local wildlife, including frogs and dragonflies.

Were you looking for Nemo? Well, you found him! Sketch this striped clownfish with a notable "lucky fin." Then try to find Dory and check out another clownfish, above.

Trout like this one are iconic of fishing in North America. This classic freshwater fish has a long body and many small fins.

Trout like this one are iconic of fishing in North America. This classic freshwater fish has a long body and many small fins.

As you sketch the head of this seahorse, can you imagine where this fish got its name? Pay attention to the curling tail, which the seahorse can use to grab onto things.

Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the sea - you can draw this one no matter the size of your paper. Notice that its big mouth has no sharp teeth. Unlike most sharks, whale sharks feast on tiny creatures called plankton.

Angelfish come in many patterns, but most have the basic shape seen in this drawing. This striped angelfish is modeled after a real-life fish called a Moorish idol.

The pufferfish is round and ball-shaped, but it is also covered in triangular spines. Can you see in its cheeks how it appears to be holding its breath?

Piranhas have a menacing appearance with their oddly shaped heads and sharp teeth. In the water, they hang silently, motionless - much as they will appear on your page!

Barracuda are long, slender fish with sharp teeth. They often group into large schools - how many barracuda can you draw today?

Did you know? The strange-looking blobfish looks a lot like any other fish when swimming in its deep ocean home. When it is brought to the surface, however, the change in pressure produces a saggy appearance.