How to draw a catfish - a free catfish drawing guide
Draw a friendly catfish step by step using pencil, eraser, and colors, learning shapes, whiskers, fins, and simple shading to create an underwater scene.
Step-by-step guide to draw a catfish
How to draw a Catfish easy drawing for kids
Step 1
Lightly draw a big horizontal oval in the middle of your paper for the catfish body.
Step 2
Add a rounded curved shape at the left end of the oval to make the catfish head and connect it to the body.
Step 3
Draw a forked tail fin at the right end of the oval by sketching two curved triangles that meet in the middle.
Step 4
Draw the fins by adding a curved dorsal fin on top and a pair of side fins under the body.
Step 5
Draw two round eyes near the front of the head and add small circles inside for pupils.
Step 6
Draw four long curved whiskers from the front underside of the head to make the barbels.
Step 7
Draw a small curved smile under the eyes for the mouth.
Step 8
Add two short curved lines behind the head for gill details.
Step 9
Gently erase any extra sketch lines so your catfish looks clean.
Step 10
Trace the main outlines with a black marker or a dark colored pencil to make the drawing bold.
Step 11
Color the whole body with a light base color using your coloring materials.
Step 12
Add darker shading along the belly and near the fins to make the fish look rounded.
Step 13
Color the fins and tail with a different shade and add a few stripes or spots for fun.
Step 14
Draw simple underwater details like wavy seaweed and round bubbles around your catfish.
Step 15
Take a picture of your finished catfish and share your creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a black marker, dark colored pencil, or special coloring materials?
If you don't have a black marker or dark colored pencil for tracing the main outlines, use a dark ballpoint pen or fine-tip felt pen, and substitute crayons, colored pencils, or watered-down poster paint for the light base color.
My catfish looks smudged or messy after erasing and tracing — how do I fix that?
If your drawing smudges when you trace or erase, let marker ink dry fully, gently erase extra sketch lines before tracing the main outlines, and if whiskers or fins look uneven, lightly redraw them in pencil and then retrace.
How can I adapt the steps for younger children or make it harder for older kids?
For younger kids simplify by having them color a large horizontal oval body and stick to basic fins and bubbles, while older kids can add detailed gill lines, darker shading along the belly, and patterns or textures on the fins.
How can we extend or personalize the catfish drawing after finishing the basic steps?
To personalize the finished catfish, add textured scales with tissue paper or colored-pencil strokes, create extra seaweed and bubble details around the fish, or take a picture and share your creation on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw a catfish
Catfish easy drawing 05 | Art tutorial | How to draw A Catfish step by step easily | #artjanag
4 Videos
Catfish easy drawing 05 | Art tutorial | How to draw A Catfish step by step easily | #artjanag
How to Draw a Catfish
Catfish drawing easy way | How to draw A Catfish step by step | Draw A Catfish | Outline drawings
How to Draw CatFish Step by Step for Kids
Facts about drawing and sketching for kids
🐟 Catfish get their name from whisker-like barbels and there are over 3,000 species of catfish around the world.
👃 Those whisker-like barbels are full of taste and touch sensors that help catfish find food in dark, muddy water.
✏️ Many artists start drawings with simple shapes — like ovals for the body and triangles for fins — to build a friendly catfish step by step.
🌊 Underwater scenes often look bluer the deeper you go because water absorbs red and orange light first.
🎨 Simple pencil shading (light to dark) makes a flat fish shape look rounded and gives the drawing a real underwater feel.
