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how to draw a salmon

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.

Table of contents

Step-by-step guide to draw a salmon

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Kids Teach Kids to Draw a SALMON | Educational Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorial for Kids!

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, colouring materials (colored pencils or crayons), sharpener, adult supervision required

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.

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

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Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

How To Draw A Salmon Step By Step 🐟 Salmon Drawing Easy

4 Videos

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.

How do you draw a salmon step by step?

Start with a light guideline: draw an elongated oval for the body and a small circle for the head. Add a tapered triangle for the tail and simple curved shapes for the dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins. Mark the eye and mouth, refine the outline, and erase construction lines. Add the lateral line and subtle scale texture. Finish with shading for form—choose a light source and darken the belly, gill area, and under fins for realism.

What materials do I need to draw a salmon with my child?

Gather pencils (HB and 2B), a soft eraser, pencil sharpener, and a clean sketchbook or heavier paper for color. Add colored pencils, watercolor or markers for fish colors, and a blending stump or cotton swab for smooth shading. A printed reference photo helps with anatomy and patterns. Optionally use a fine liner to ink outlines and a ruler for proportions if your child wants cleaner guidelines.

What ages is learning to draw a salmon suitable for?

This activity suits a wide range: preschoolers (4–6) can trace or copy simplified shapes with adult help; ages 7–10 can follow step-by-step shapes and practice basic shading; tweens and teens (11+) can study proportions, anatomy, and realistic color blending. Adapt complexity—use big, bold shapes for younger kids and add scale detail, textures, and lighting lessons for older children to build observation and fine motor skills progressively.

What are the benefits of drawing a salmon with kids?

Drawing a salmon boosts observation, proportion understanding, and hand-eye coordination. It introduces basic fish anatomy (gills, fins, lateral line), improves fine motor control through detailed line work and shading, and encourages patience and focus. The activity also sparks interest in nature and biology, useful for cross-curricular learning. Repeating the exercise builds confidence and visual memory, and combining drawing with a short fact lesson makes it both artistic and educational.

Ready to create?

All Activities

how to draw a salmon

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.

Table of contents

Step-by-step guide to draw a salmon

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Kids Teach Kids to Draw a SALMON | Educational Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorial for Kids!

What you need

Paper, pencil, eraser, colouring materials (colored pencils or crayons), sharpener, adult supervision required

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.

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'?

The head circle or tail wedge doesn't look right—how do I fix alignment without ruining the drawing?

How can I adapt this salmon drawing for different ages and skill levels?

How can we make the finished salmon more creative before we 'Share your finished creation on DIY.org'?

Watch videos on how to draw a salmon

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

How To Draw A Salmon Step By Step 🐟 Salmon Drawing Easy

4 Videos

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.