In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Parrotfish 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 Parrotfish.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Parrotfish - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Draw almost a complete triangle to for the head. Leave a little notch for its mouth and a dot for the eye
Step 2: Draw the rest of the body, fanning out the end to make a tail base
Step 3: Draw a tail fin onto the tail base, fanning it out
Step 4: Draw a small, triangilar fin near the head
Step 5: Add a small "hill" down the top of its back for another fin
Step 6: Draw two final fins along the bottom
Step 7: Shade the fins in with lines
Interesting Facts about the Parrotfish
Parrotfish are very colorful and vivid herbivores, with ninety-six different species of classed into the parrotfish family. They are most often found in shallower waters, near or in coral reefs a lot of the time. Their teeth are pointed toward the front of their angular faces, causing a beak-like effect with their mouths. They use this unique formation of their faces to scrape algae off of surfaces in the water. The smallest species of parrotfish grows to be about half a foot long, while the longest species has been observed at over four feet in length. Many parrotfish, prior to going to sleep, will produce a mucous shielding around themselves that disguises their scent from predatory marine life. The skin itself is always covered in secretions that are known to have antibiotic properties, to help the fish heal from injury. This mucous covering also acts as an early alert system of sorts for the parrotfish, as it allows them to feel when something disturbs the membrane before harm can come to the fish that is covered in it.
Did you know?
- Some species of parrotfish eat coral, which helps tremendously with bolstering the reef covering in areas where they populate.
- After they have digested the coral, it leaves their body as sand.
- Most parrotfish start out as females, but then will gradually change into males. However, there are some types of this fish that are born male.
- It is normal for one male parrotfish to mate with several females.
- Juvenile parrotfish of some varieties can change their color to suit their environment, as a clever disguising mechanism.
Arts and Crafts Activity Notes: Draw the parrotfish in varying sizes, and make copies for each participant to have two or three of different size. Instruct participants to color in the bright and vivid fish using colored pencils, markers or crayons. Proceed to have them cut them out carefully with safety scissors. Fix the fish onto a large blue backdrop using glue or tape, and then display in a window to show off your school of colorful parrotfish.
How to Draw a Parrotfish – Step-by-Step Tutorial