In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw an Royal Gramma also called a Fairy Basslet Fish step-by-step.

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To draw this Royal Gramma 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 royal gramma or fairy basslet's body. First make four marks to determine the circle's height and width. Then connect the marks using curved lines. If you're struggling to draw the circle, just trace the outer rim of a circular object like a coin or a lid. 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 again as a guide for the middle section of the body. Make this circle slightly smaller than the first one. Don't draw the circles too far apart or your fish will be too long. With every step, sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 3: To the left of the first circle, draw a big arc on its side as a guide for the royal gramma's head. To draw the arc, make a small arc on the far left side. Then connect the mark to the circle using curved lines.

Step 4: Connect the circles using two horizontal lines at the top and bottom to finish the middle part of the royal gramma's body.

Step 5: Add the guide for the fish's body by first making a small mark on the far right side. Draw two lines from the second circle to the mark for the top and bottom edges of the royal gramma's body. Make the mark longer so that it's a curved, vertical line. Sketch lightly at first so that you get this shape right.

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Step 6: On the right side, draw two lines that fan out as a guide for the first part of the fairy basslet's tail. To the right of that, draw a big, wavy line that's similar to the number 3 to finish the guide for the tail. Pay attention to how big the fish's tail is compared to the rest of the body.

Step 7: Inside the first circle, draw two sloping lines with a curved line on the right side as a guide for the royal gramma's pectoral fin. This shape should be almost triangular. The right edge should come out of the circle a bit. Under the first circle, draw a long, curved line that slopes toward the right as a guide for the first pelvic fin. To the left, draw another long, curved line as a guide for the fish's other pelvic fin.

Step 8: On top of the royal gramma's body, draw two short lines as a guide for the first part of the dorsal fin. Curve the line on the right a bit. Connect the lines at the top using a long, wavy, horizontal line to complete the guide for the fish's dorsal fin.

Step 9: Under the body, to the right of the pelvic fins, draw a big, wide arc as a guide for the royal gramma's anal fin.

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

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Step 10: Inside the head, near the top edge, draw a circle for the fish's eye. Sketch lightly at first to the shape and position right. In the middle of the eye, draw a small circle for the pupil. Draw a curved line around the small circle to emphasize the structure of the eye. Draw a few more short, curved lines around inside the main shape of the fairy basslet's eye for detail on the creases.

Step 11: Use the front part of the initial arc as a guide to draw the fish's mouth. Near the bottom, left side of the arc, draw a short, diagonal line for the first part of the mouth. Add another line on top to create a thicker rectangular shape for the top lip. Pay attention to the placement of the royal gramma's mouth in relation to the eye. Darken a bit of the arc for the bottom of the mouth. Curve the line up at the ends to begin to create another rectangular shape for the lower lip. Add a couple of short lines at the top to finish the bottom lip and the partially opened mouth.

Step 12: Use the rest of the arc as a guide to finish drawing the royal gramma's head. Darken the top and bottom of the arc to create the shape of the head. To the right, near the inner edge of the initial circle, draw a couple of curved, vertical lines for the fish's gills.

Step 13: Use the long shape on top of the body as a guide to draw the fairy basslet's dorsal fin. Darken the guide, but at the top, draw a series of angled lines along the edge for the ridges on the fish's fin. As you draw the ridges near the middle, dip the shape down more so that the shape is narrower there. You can add the angled top edge along the guide first and then add the shorter lines for the ridges after. Don't make the lines for the ridges too long. Keep them short to indicate a bit of texture. Add a series of short lines along the bottom of the shape for more detail on the ridges.

Step 14: Darken the triangular guide inside the body for the royal gramma's pectoral fin. Use wavy lines on the sides for a more organic feel.

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Step 15: Darken the long line under the body (on the right side) for the first part of the fish's pelvic fin. Add a wavy line on top to make the shape thicker and flowy. The bottom end should be thin and pointy. Add a couple of short, curved lines at the top for the base. Draw the visible part of the royal gramma's other pelvic fin the same way.

Step 16: Darken the arc on the bottom using a wavier line for the royal gramma's last fin. Add a few short lines along the top and bottom of the shape for the ridges on the fin.

Step 17: Use the big shape on the right as a guide to draw the tail. Darken the main shape but make the right edge wavier for a more organic feel. Draw a few lines along the left and right side of the shape for the ridges on the fish's tail. Pay attention to the orientation of the lines. Use the remaining lines and shapes as guide to draw the rest of the body. Simply darken the outer edges of the initial guides to create the shape of the fairy basslet's body. Make the lines a bit wavier.

Step 18: Go over the final sketch lines with a pen, marker or any other type of permanent ink. Take your time and be careful when you ink to avoid any accidents. After inking, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser for a cleaner drawing.

Final Step: Color your royal gramma drawing! Use black for the pupil and yellow to draw a streak across the eye and below it. Use different shades of purple and blue on top of each other for the front part of the head. Use shades of pink and red farther back along the fish's body. The pectoral fin is basically see-through, so color directly over it. Use dark blue and black to draw and color a circle on the dorsal fin for this fish's distinctive spot.

Add the colors lightly at first and slowly blend them and build up to the shade that you like. At about halfway along the body, add some yellow dots as the body transitions to all yellow on the lower half. Leave some sections on the fins blank, as they are see-through. Surround the yellow dots with pink.

Add some yellow-orange to the edges of the bottom half of the royal gramma's body to give the shape more dimension and volume. Just like with the front part of the body, color lightly at first and slowly build up to the shade of yellow that you like. Be careful to not overlap the yellow transition scales as you color around them using pinks and purples. Coloring can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks.

Use a bit of dark blue and black along the outer edges of the front of the fish's body to make the shape rounder. It's a good idea to use reference as you draw and color for a more accurate depiction of a royal gramma fish. If you have a pet royal gramma/fairy basslet or a similar type of fish, try to duplicate their colors on your drawing. A similar fish is a royal dottyback, and it may be easier to color, as it's just pink and yellow without the dots in the middle. Don't forget to pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace.

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