Seeing a Mandarinfish in the flesh is truly a treat – these are stunning, colorful creatures renowned for their amazing, eye-catching colors and pretty patterns. If you haven’t yet had the chance to see one in the wild, why not bring your own to life right here and now? All you need is our free simple steps – let’s get started!
Tutorial Video
Step-By-Step Images and Instructions
1.
Grab a black pen, and draw an almond shape in the center of your page. Add a small “bump” to the left of this.
2.
Draw a series of short lines emerging from this inverted section, heading towards the inside. This will be the fin of your fish.
3.
Bring a curved line across to the left, and add a “c” to the end. Then, add a point above this, with a mark on the end, for the mouth, and then curve the line up and across to the right, creating an “m” shape.
4.
Bring the line across to the right, and then down and across to the left to meet the fin.
5.
Add a double ring just under the second “bump” of the “m” shape at the top.
6.
Add another, smaller circle inside this with another small circle at the top.
7.
Now add a large tail to the back of the body…
8.
And bring a curved line up from the top, heading towards the top left-hand corner of the page and to a point. Then, bring this back down, across to the right, and down.
9.
Add a curved line just behind this, and then take a wavy line across towards the tail, and down to meet the top of the back.
10.
Add two more curved fins to the bottom of the fish, in front of the fin, and then add another, jagged fin to the bottom.
11.
Bring two curved, “backward L” shaped lines down around the eye, and then add a long, thin shape to the left of the eye.
12.
Add another long, thin stripe behind the eyes, and then add a large arrow shape behind this.
13.
Add a wavy line to the bottom of the fish, just above the front fins, and then fill this space with circles.
14.
Now, add a series of curved shapes and stripes all across the back…
15.
And then add long, thin “teardrop” shapes all across the tail at the back.
16.
Add a wavy line just inside the back of the tail.
17.
Now, add a wavy line across the bottom of the jagged fin at the back, and add a series of stripes to this.
18.
Repeat this with the fins at the front…
19.
And then add more stripes to the pointed fin at the top.
20.
Now, add two wavy lines just below the top of the other top fin, and add two more lines below this. Connect the shapes here to those in the body, and then add a series of curved lines emerging from the top fin.
21.
Use a black pen to shade the central section of the eye.
22.
Use a dark blue pen for the “frills” on the edge of the fins, and the bottom of the body.
23.
Now, use a lighter blue pen for the shapes inside the fins, and the stripes of the face. Then, add the same color to the left of the main fin.
24.
Use a green pen for the rest of the stripes, and the bottom of the front section.
25.
Grab a yellow pen, and add a stripe to the top of the green section, including on the right of the main fin.
26.
Use a brown pen to color the iris…
27.
And then use an orange pen for the rest of the body.
And there we have it – a vibrant riot of color for you to enjoy! Why not spend a little time learning more about these fish? They are a truly amazing treat for the eyes!
