How to Draw a Betta

In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Betta in 7 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.

The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.

Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.

At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Betta.

Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.

How to Draw a Betta - Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Start drawing your Betta by making a rounded curve shape for the head. Leave the back open for the rest of the body.

Step 2: Now add two small circles for the eye. Color the inner circle black. Now add a small line for the mouth. Bettas sometimes raise their babies inside their mouths!

Step 3: Draw two curved lines to the right and going down for the body. This particular fish can grow to be 1 inch long.

Step 4: Now add a circular bulb at the end to make the tail. Make a small point at the end of the bulb as well.

Step 5: To draw the top fin, draw two curved lines that meet at a point.

Step 6: For the bottom fins, draw two more curved lines going down at a point, and another shape similar to the top fin to make the bottom back fin.

Step 7: Add lines inside all the fins for detail, and the a lot of small ovals all over the body to draw the scale pattern. Bettas come in all different kinds of colors! The have up to 24 rays of color on their fins.

Interesting Facts about the BETTA

The Betta is a member of the fish family and the scientific term for them is Betta burdigala. This species is in the Gouramis family, which means that they have a ray pattern on their fins, show parental care (sometimes raising babies in their mouth), build nests out of bubbles, and have lungs shaped like a labyrinth so that they can breathe air when in water with little oxygen, such as puddles.

Did you know?

  • The animal was first documented in 1994.
  • They are related to the Perciform fish with over 10,000 species members.
  • This family of animals makes up 40 percent of all fish.
  • They prefer temperatures of about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • The species can grow up to 1 inch long.
  • They have up to 24 rays on their colorful fins.

This species is found in lowland peat swamp forests of Bangka Island at Indonesia. They are popular in entertainment since the males will fight other males to the death in order to reduce competition for the female. Since there are so few of these creatures due to their abduction for domestication with the demand for household pets, they are near threatened to extinction.

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