In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Flying Fish step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this Flying Fish step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a circle near the left side of the paper as a guide for the front part of the flying fish's body. First make four marks to determine the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. For a more detailed guide on the different ways to draw a circle check out this tutorial: Four simple ways to draw a circle.

Step 2: To the right, draw another circle using the four-marks method as a guide for the back of the body. The circles should be roughly the same size. Don't draw the circles too close together or the flying fish's body will be too short. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid.

Step 3: To the left of the first circle, draw a small arc as a guide for the front of the flying fish's head. Draw two long lines to connect the circles and complete the guide for the torso. Curve the lines a bit. The top line should be longer than the bottom line.

Step 4: On the right side, draw two long, sloping lines as a guide for the top of the tail. The lines should come to a point on the right side so that they form a triangular shape. On the bottom, draw an angled, V-shaped line as a guide for the first part of the flying fish's tail or caudal fin. At the top, draw a sideways, V-shaped line as a guide for the top part of the caudal fin.

Step 5: To the right of the first circle, draw a long, diagonal line as a guide for the flying fish's first wing-like pectoral fin. To the left, draw a curved, diagonal line for the other pectoral fin. Pay attention to the length of these lines in relation to the fish's body.

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Step 6: Draw a long, curved line to the right of the first diagonal line to complete the guide of the first pectoral fin. Sketch lightly at first. The resulting shape of the guide should be similar to a long letter D. On the left side, draw a long, diagonal line to complete the guide for the flying fish's other pectoral fin.

Step 7: Under the second circle, draw a tilted, V-shaped line as a guide for the flying fish's first pelvic fin. To the left, draw a thinner, V-shaped line that tilts the opposite way for the fish's other pelvic fin.

Step 8: On top of the body, to the right of the pectoral fins, draw an angled line as a guide for the dorsal fin. Under the body, draw a more square-like angled line as a guide for the anal fin.

That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 9: Inside the first circle, near the left side, draw a smaller circle for the fish's eye. Inside the eye, draw an even smaller circle for the pupil and a tiny circle off to the side for a highlight. Shade the pupil but don't overlap the highlight circle. Draw a few short lines around the pupil for extra detail inside the flying fish's eye.

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Step 10: Near the bottom edge of the initial arc for the head, draw a small, curved line for the top part of the flying fish's open mouth. Draw another curved line above the mouth to emphasize the top lip. Darken a bit of the initial arc on the left. Draw another curved line at the bottom for the rest of the open mouth. Add a curved line along the lower edge of the initial arc for the bottom lip.

Step 11: Use the initial arc and first circle as guides to draw the rest of the flying fish's head. Darken the arc and the top and bottom edge of the circle to create the shape of the head. Draw a small circle near the top of the head for the nostril. To the right of the eye, draw a couple of curved lines for the fish's gills.

Step 12: Use the big, tilted, D-shaped line on top the body as a guide to draw the first wing-like pectoral fin. Draw a wavy line at the bottom for the base and then darken the shape to create the fin. Use wavy lines as you darken the right edge of the guide for a textured look on the flying fish's fin. Draw a series of sloping lines inside the shape, on the bottom and top for more detail on the fin's texture.

Step 13: Darken the long shape on the left to create the flying fish's other wing-like pectoral fin. Use wavy lines when you darken the right edge and add some lines inside for texture.

Step 14: Darken the two tilted, V-shaped lines under the body to create the pelvic fins. Draw an extra line at the top of the guide on the right to make the base of the fin thinner. Draw a series of short strokes inside the flying fish's fins for texture.

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Step 15: Darken the triangular line on top of the body and add some lines inside for the dorsal fin. Make the base of the dorsal thinner too. Darken the square-like shape under the flying fish's body and add some lines for the anal fin.

Step 16: Use the remaining lines and shapes as guides to draw the rest of the body. Darken the outer edges of the guides to create the flying fish's body. Don't overlap the fins that are on this side of the body. Use the tilted, V-shaped lines on the far right as guides to draw the caudal fins. Darken the outer edges of the guides and use wavier lines as you darken the right edges.

Step 17: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step: Add some shading to your flying fish drawing for extra detail. Use a dark value across the top part of the body. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Use a lighter value to shade the part of the body that's behind the pectoral fin so that the fin appears transparent. Shade the pectoral fins using a very light value. Use a darker value on the top tips. Use diagonal strokes as you shade the pectoral fins. For a more detailed guide on how to shade, check out this tutorial: How to shade.

Use a light value to shade the bottom of the body. Add a shadow at the bottom of the flying fish's body using a medium value to give the figure more dimension and volume. Shade the rest of the fins using a light value. Use a darker value on the tips. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw for a more accurate depiction of a flying fish. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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