Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Fish (Moorish Idol)" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

 

Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

 

Written step-by-step video tutorial:

 

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

 

Step 1: Draw a big circle as a guide for the main part of the Moorish idol's body. First make four small marks to indicate its height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make mistake. If you're struggling drawing the circle, trace the outer rim of a glass, a bowl or any other object with a circular edge. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle, check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

 

Step 2: Draw a vertical line and a horizontal line intersecting across the middle of the circle. These are construction lines that will help you place the Moorish idol's features later.

 

Step 3: On the left side of the circle, draw the guide for the Moorish idol's mouth by first making a small mark. Connect the mark to the circle using curved lines to form a small arc. Use the horizontal line as a guide.

 

Step 4: For the guide for the fish's first fin, draw a short line that starts at the horizontal guide on the left and meets the vertical guide at the top. Then bend the line back down and angle it back up to form a triangle-like shape.

 

Step 5: At the top of the circle, draw a long, sloping line as a guide for the Moorish idol's dorsal fin. Draw a vertical line on the right side to finish up the guide for the dorsal fin.

---

 

Step 6: Draw a similar triangle-like shape at the bottom as a guide for the Moorish idol's anal fin. This guide should be closer to the right in comparison to the dorsal fin at the top.

 

Step 7: On the right side of the circle, draw the guide for the Moorish idol's tail or caudal fin using a series of lines. This guide is formed by three lines. Pay attention to its size in relation to the main circle and the fish's other fins.

 

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

 

Step 8: Lightly sketch a small circle near the left edge of the head for the eye. Use the construction lines as guides for placement. When you get the size and position right, darken the eye. Add a few curved lines around the Moorish idol's eye for extra detail. Notice how small the eye and surrounding detail are in relation to the rest of the fish's body.

 

Step 9: Use the small arc on the right as a guide to draw the top part of the Moorish idol's mouth. Follow the basic path of the guide as you draw the shape but make it slightly curvier. Curve the line in toward the inside of the arc to create the fish's mouth opening.

---

 

Step 10: Darken the bottom part of the initial arc to create the lower jaw. Add a small, curved line on the lower, left tip for the Moorish idol's open mouth.

 

Step 11: Draw two long, curved lines to the left of the pectoral fin for the Moorish idol's gills. Sketch lightly at first. When you get the size and shape of the gills right, darken the lines.

 

Step 12: Use the triangle- like shape in the middle of the body as a guide to draw the fish's pectoral fin. Follow the basic path of the guide but curve the shape more as you darken the lines. Add some small lines at the base for detail.

 

Step 13: Darken the sloping line of the shape at the top of the head for the first part of the Moorish idol's dorsal fin. Make the line wavier and extend it all the way to the right. If you have room, you can make it even longer.

 

Step 14: Curve the line down and to the left, and continue drawing the bottom part of the fish's dorsal fin. When you meet the guides again, follow their basic path to create the rest of the shape. Continue drawing the line as you follow the edge of the main circle to create part of the Moorish idol's body.

---

 

Step 15: Darken the path of the triangle-like shape at the bottom for the Moorish idol's anal fin but make it wavier. Draw the right side of the fin as a continuous wavy line that meets the tail.

 

Step 16: To the left, draw two long, curved lines that come to a point for the Moorish idol's first pelvic fin. The two lines bulge outward in the middle before becoming narrow at the bottom.

 

Step 17: Darken the bottom edge of the initial circle. Draw the fish's pelvic fin on the other side the same way as the first. Darken the lower, left edge of the initial circle to finish the bottom part of the Moorish idol's body. Darken the top, right side too but make the line bulge out a bit over the eye.

 

Step 18: Use the remaining lines on the right as guides to draw the Moorish idol's caudal fin or tail. Follow the basic path of the guides but make the shape wavier as you darken the lines.

 

Step 19: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. You can also lightly erase some of the final lines so that the colors don't get too muddled with the graphite in the next step. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

 

Final Step: Color your Moorish idol drawing! Use black to outline the stripes on the body. These fish have a big, fat stripe in front of their bodies, a thinner stripe in the back and a black tail. The thick stripe at the front also has two thin white lines. You can skip these lines because they're not too prominent. Add a V-shaped line to the top part of the fish's mouth and start filling in the stripes with black. Add the color lightly at first and slowly build up to the level of darkness you want.

Color the Moorish idol's eye and the portion of the pectoral fin in front of the stripe lighter. The pectoral fin is transparent. To get this effect, just follow the path of the stripe and color the fin lightly. Coloring the black stripes can be a slow process, so be patient and take breaks.

Use yellow to color the right side of the Moorish idol's body. Add a bit of yellow to the right edge of the pectoral fin to emphasize its transparency. Be careful as you add yellow to the fish's body as it's very easy for it to be muddled up with black. Add a bit of black along the right edge of the body. Use yellow-orange for the section on the mouth. Blend in some yellow- orange to the yellow on the body as well.

Use gray at the bottom of the Moorish idol's body as shadow to give the figure more dimension and volume. Use different shades of gray or vary the pressure on your pencil for different degrees of tonal value. Add a few lines to the dorsal fin for the folds. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Add a bit of purple to the shadows. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace.

Thanks for visiting! Subscribe to the How2DrawAnimals YouTube Channel for a new tutorial every Saturday.

To learn how to draw popular cartoon characters, visit EasyDrawingTutorials.com.

 

RELATED TUTORIALS