Koi Fish are the colorful variants of the Amur carp. In Japan, they are called Nishikigoi, which means “broken carp” in English. Their scales are also usually multicolored. So they are very attractive to look at. Because of the distinctive vivid patterns of their scales, they are usually kept outdoors in ponds or water gardens for decorative purposes. Her flawless beauty has created a huge demand for a free koi fish drawing tutorial.
To meet the requests of our readers, we have organized a step-by-step guide to drawing a koi carp, broken down into nine easy-to-digest steps to make it easier for you! Also, each step comes with intricate illustrations to act as a visual guide as you follow along. The funniest part of this tutorial is that you can customize the structure of the drawing as well as its colors. It allows you to create your unique pieces of art. The best part? All you need is a piece of paper and your favorite pen! Have fun and use your creativity to draw a koi fish!
You can draw more drawing ideas like flower drawings, cartoon drawings, 3D drawings, bird drawings, landscape drawings, animal drawings, and many more.
Draw a Koi Fish – Let’s get started.
Step 1
Starting in the middle of your paper, draw a curved teardrop shape to outline the shape of the koi fish. To make sure the koi fish is drawn in the center of your paper, draw horizontal and vertical lines that intersect on your paper to create reference lines. The point where the two lines meet is where you should draw the body of your koi carp.
Step 2
Draw an upward curved line on the pointed end of the Koi’s body. Next, draw a curved line halfway down from the end point of the line you just drew. This describes one or half of the caudal fin or tail of the koi fish. If drawn correctly, its shape should resemble a three-quarters outline of a leaf.
step 3
Use the outline of half the tail fin we drew in the previous step and draw a similar shape next to it to finish the koi fish tail fin. After completing this step, your koi carp’s tail should be complete.
step 4
In this step, we now structure the fin on the side of the koi fish body. Start drawing a diagonal lineup. Next, draw a vertical line that curves in and down from the end of the line. Finally, draw another diagonal line to complete the shape of the fin. Remember that the two ends of the outline should not be connected. Also, make sure the corners of the fin are curved and not sharp.
step 5
The giant fin on top of a koi carp’s body is called the dorsal fin, while the two smaller ones on the underside are called the ventral and anal fins. Start creating the fin at the top by drawing a wide, curved line with the two ends touching the surface of the Koi’s body. Next, draw two similar lines on the underside of the koi carp’s body. The fin on the right should be larger than the one on the left.
step 6
After you’ve finished all the fins of the koi fish, it’s time to add some patterns and textures to make it more dimensional and realistic. Draw several lines on the surface of the fins to create a distinctive pattern. Remember that the lines inside the slats don’t have to be straight. Rather, it should match the natural contour of the fins.
step 7
Make your koi fish happy by drawing an upward curved line across their face to create a big smile. Then draw another curved line at the end of the smile line to complete the look!
step 8
Because the koi fish is oriented sideways, only one eye is visible. So we will only draw one. Draw a perfect circle over the koi carp’s mouth to outline the eye. Next, draw a small circle in the eye to create the iris. To achieve a bright, realistic eye effect, shade the entire eye except for the small circle inside. This trick can make any character’s facial expression more adorable!
step 9
Koi Fish is particularly well known for the unique patterns imprinted on their scales. It’s easy to create these templates. Avoid stressing over the proportion of these outlines. It doesn’t have to be perfect. The more uneven these patterns are, the more realistic they will look! Now that we have successfully drawn a koi fish, it’s time for the most enjoyable part: choosing the colors and coloring your koi fish drawing!
Koi fishes typically have varying black, white, and orange color combinations. However, some koi species are pure gold or platinum in color. You can opt to follow their standard colors or use a unique set of colors! We’re sure you can color your koi fish beautifully and make it stand out. Enjoy coloring your drawing and watch as your koi fish comes to life!
Learn more How to Draw a Koi Fish
