Draw a Koi Fish
Koi is an ornamental variety of Carp fish species. Because in Japanese the pronunciation of the kanji “love/affection” is the same as “Carp”, the Koi fish has become a symbol of love and friendship in Japan. The Koi fish is also a very popular tattoo motif. Follow this tutorial to learn how draw a Koi like those often seen in tattoos.
Steps
- Start by sketching the head. To do so, draw a rounded triangle. Inside this shape, draw a circle.
- Draw a long, slim oval coming off the upper right of the rounded triangle. Narrow the oval towards the end. This will be the body of the fish.
- Draw a big M-like shape at the end of the oval. This will be the tail.
- Draw two semicircles on each side of the body. Draw another smaller one on the exterior right side of the head. These will become the fins.
- Outline the shapes, adding details (such as whiskers) as you outline. Also add details on the fins.
- Erase the sketch lines and draw scales on the body.
- Color your drawing!
