How to draw a salmon - a free salmon drawing guide
Learn to draw a salmon step by step using simple shapes, shading, and color. Practice observation, proportions, and basic anatomy for realistic results.
Step-by-step guide to draw a salmon
Kids Teach Kids to Draw a SALMON | Educational Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorial for Kids!
Step 1
Lightly draw a horizontal guideline across the page to mark the salmon's center.
Step 2
Sketch a large oval along the guideline for the salmon's body.
Step 3
Draw a smaller circle touching one end of the oval for the head.
Step 4
Add a sideways triangle or wedge at the opposite end for the tail fin.
Step 5
Draw two gentle curved lines from head to tail to form the salmon's back and belly.
Step 6
Erase any overlapping guideline bits inside the shape and smooth the outer body outline.
Step 7
Draw a curved dorsal fin on the top middle of the body.
Step 8
Draw a pectoral fin near the head on the side of the body.
Step 9
Draw a small pelvic fin underneath the middle of the body.
Step 10
Add a small circle for the eye and a short curved line for the mouth near the head.
Step 11
Lightly sketch small overlapping crescent shapes or soft strokes across the body to suggest scales.
Step 12
Shade the top of the fish a bit darker and keep the belly lighter to show roundness.
Step 13
Colour the salmon with light pinks or silvery tones on the body and darker hues on the back and fins.
Step 14
Share your finished 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 I use if I don't have the suggested light pencils or pink/silver coloring for 'Colour the salmon with light pinks or silvery tones'?
Use a regular HB pencil for the 'Lightly draw a horizontal guideline' and substitute the light pinks or silvery tones with crayons, washable markers, or a light wash of watercolor, keeping strokes soft to mimic the silvery sheen.
The head circle or tail wedge doesn't look right—how do I fix alignment without ruining the drawing?
Lightly redraw the horizontal guideline, reposition the smaller circle so it touches one end of the oval and the sideways triangle wedge at the opposite end, then 'erase any overlapping guideline bits inside the shape and smooth the outer body outline' as directed.
How can I adapt this salmon drawing for different ages and skill levels?
For younger kids simplify to a single large oval, one triangle tail and bold marker colors and skip the small crescent scales and subtle shading, while older kids can add layered scales, finer dorsal/pectoral/pelvic fin details and 'shade the top of the fish a bit darker and keep the belly lighter' with colored pencils.
How can we make the finished salmon more creative before we 'Share your finished creation on DIY.org'?
Enhance the piece by adding a blue watery background and river rocks, applying a silver gel pen or metallic watercolor over the 'silvery tones' area for shimmer, and personalise it with a name or patterned fins before photographing to share on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw a salmon
How To Draw A Salmon Step By Step 🐟 Salmon Drawing Easy
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How To Draw A Salmon Step By Step 🐟 Salmon Drawing Easy
How to Draw a Salmon in a Few Easy Steps: Drawing Tutorial for Beginner Artists
How to draw a salmon fish
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Facts about drawing animals for kids
🐟 Salmon are anadromous — they hatch in freshwater, grow in the ocean, then swim back upriver to spawn.
🎨 Artists build complex drawings from simple shapes: start with an oval for the body and triangles for fins to get proportions right.
📐 A salmon's body is streamlined and torpedo-shaped, which helps you place the head, tail, and fin proportions accurately.
🌈 Many salmon species change color during spawning season — silver at sea, brighter reds and oranges in rivers.
✏️ Shading from light to dark around the belly and back makes the fish look round and realistic on paper.
