How to Draw a Rainbow Trout

1. Begin the rainbow trout outline by drawing the fish's face. Use a blunt "V" shaped line to outline the face, and draw a "J" shaped line across it.

Enclose the eye using a rounded triangle. Shade an oval inside it to indicate the pupil.

2. Draw the lower jaw using a rounded "V" shaped line. Then, contour the face, gills, and eye using curved lines.

3. Use a long curved line to draw the fish's back. Draw a short curved line at the base of the head. Beneath the head, use another curved line to enclose a fin, and texture it with short curved lines.

4. Extend a long curved line to sketch the fish's belly. Then, enclose a fin on the back and near the base of the tail. Texture the dorsal fin with short curved lines.

5. Draw a short line near the fish's neck. From it, extend a long curved line and double it back upon itself to enclose the pectoral fin. Texture the fin with short lines.

6. Use curved lines to enclose the heart-shaped tail. Draw a wavy line at the base of the tail, then texture the tail with short curved lines.

7. Enclose another pectoral fin below the first, and texture it with short curved lines. Then, use a curved line, doubled back upon itself, to sketch the anal fin near the top of the tail.

8. Draw another anal fin opposite the first. Then, detail the fish's body with its characteristic stripes. Use long curved lines.

9. Complete your rainbow trout outline by shading small ovals and circles along its head, body, and tail. These are the fish's spots.

Color your cartoon of a rainbow trout. If you'd like to shade your drawing realistically, examine the colors we've used in our example - green, brown, blue, pink, and cream.

The fish is darker on top with a lighter belly; the dark and light sections are separated by the characteristic reddish stripe.