How To Draw An Aquarium Scene From The Top

In this tutorial, nosotros'll describe an angelfish—a small freshwater fish with a circular torso and elongated fins of a complex angular shape. This contrast makes an angelfish a truthful creative discovery for an artist!

Angelfish are one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish; they are noteworthy for their cute stripy coloring. And then we'll as well practice creating a pattern on a 3-dimensional object (in our case, a fish).

For this project, nosotros'll utilize just a couple of graphite pencils. A fish is a wonderful subject area from the drawing standpoint; it's a relatively like shooting fish in a barrel yet fascinating thing to describe.

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What Y'all Will Need

To consummate this project, you lot'll need the following equipment:

an HB graphite pencil
a 3B graphite pencil
an eraser
a canvas of cartoon paper

How to Depict an Angelfish

Footstep one

With the HB pencil, I draw the rounded shape of the fish'due south trunk.

A apartment, round body lets an angelfish glide through the dumbo underwater plants. Knowing such nuances ever helps y'all to create a credible cartoon, so some quick enquiry is beneficial.

Pace 2

I add the shape of the head; it almost overlaps the bigger trunk shape, leaving just a tiny narrowed area on the left side.

I too draw the round heart with the pupil.

Stride 3

I add the crude shape of the tail fin; information technology is forked with two pointed ends. And so I join the shapes of the body and the tail fin.

Step 4

The front end dorsal fin of an angelfish has a complex shape. Let's construct information technology in several steps.

I draw the first segment of the fin; its course is similar to a triangle with a curved side.

Drawing the first segment of the front dorsal fin

I add the second segment; it is longer than the previous i and bends towards the tail.

Adding the second segment of the dorsal fin

I draw the last segment with an S-shaped contour line.

Completing the shape of the front dorsal fin

Footstep 5

I add the long, pointed ventral fins to the underside of the fish's torso.

Step 6

I draw the anal fin, calculation it to the lower part of the fish's body.

The process is like to designing the dorsal fin, merely in this case without the smaller segment.

Step vii

I refine the mouth of the fish, drawing stylized "lips".

I also add the gill covers with a set of curved, organic lines.

Step eight

I add the pocket-sized pectoral fin to the side of the fish.

Then I refine the contours of the body, making them smoother and more than streamlined.

Adding the side fin and refining the contours

Footstep ix

It'southward fourth dimension to add the details to the fins. I first with the dorsal fin, filling its shape with a pattern of paired lines that imitate spikes.

Don't forget to create a jagged meridian contour of the fin, joining the spikes with the curved lines.

Step x

I add the details to the tail fin, working in the same mode. The best option is to start from the sides, gradually moving towards the centre of the fin shape.

A like principle applies to the pectoral fin.

Step 11

I add the pattern of lines to the ventral fins and the anal fin.

Step 12

Angelfish usually have a beautiful stripy blueprint; it's time to marking information technology.

I add longer and shorter vertical stripes to the head and torso of the fish. You can be artistic here—vary the length and width of the stripes as you lot like. An organic type of line works corking hither.

Delight continue in mind that a fish is a three-dimensional object! Your shapes should emphasize the contours; don't depict only straight vertical lines.

Step thirteen

With the 3B graphite pencil, I darken the stripes and the sides of the fish, making my cartoon more contrasting and three-dimensional. Notation that the stripes begin on the body and go on on the fins.

The stripes are lighter in the upper and central function of the torso; this tonal gradation gives more volume to the drawing.

I likewise add pencil strokes to the eye, leaving the bright highlights.

Darkening the pattern and the body of the fish

Step 14

With the HB pencil, I use a layer of the light cross-hatching to the fish to brand the cartoon harmonious. It'due south important to observe the balance between the contrast and tonal unity.

The lightest places here are the center of the body, the center around the pupil and the highlight, and the pectoral fin.