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How To Draw A Mermaid Step-By-Step

Mermaid Drawing

Learn how to draw a mermaid in this easy step by step tutorial. This simple mermaid drawing can also be colored in or painted later!

In this tutorial you’ll learn how to sketch in a mermaid with long flowing hair and a beautiful tail with scales with a pencil. It’s simple and easy for kids, teens and adults.

If you’re looking for an easy (step by step) mermaid painting tutorial, check out this mermaid painting

Now let’s draw some mermaids!

How to Draw a Mermaid Ideas

The cartoon mermaid drawing tutorial below is a cute and easy way to draw a mermaid with her tail.

Since her face is not showing, so it makes this drawing a bit easier for all skill levels.

Looking for ideas on what to do with this mermaid drawing? Place a rock or 2 below the mermaid hands to look like she’s gazing out towards the ocean. Or put her in an underwater scene where she is swimming.

She would also make an awesome Ariel from The Little Mermaid (use orange for her hair and a turquoise tail).

This mermaid drawing is quite versatile.

If you’re looking for a realistic looking mermaid drawing, this is a good tutorial you can follow. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a cartoon version with her face showing, follow this YouTube tutorial.

How to Draw a Mermaid Step By Step

Yield: 1

How To Draw A Mermaid {Easy & Cute!}

How-to-Draw-a-Mermaid

How to draw a mermaid easy and simple! Use this pencil sketch as is or it can be colored in or painted.

Active Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Difficulty Easy

Materials

  • pencil
  • paper
  • eraser
  • colored pencils (optional)

Instructions

  1. Watch the mermaid video YouTube tutorial.
  2. Using a pencil draw an oval at the top of your paper, for your mermaid's head.how-to-draw-a-mermaid-step-1
  3. Draw a long curved line from the middle of the oval down to the bottom of you paper. This curved line will help creating symmetry in your mermaids body shape.how-to-draw-a-mermaid-step-2
  4. how-to-draw-a-mermaid-step-3Draw the mermaid's neck and shoulders on either side of the curved line.
  5. Draw in her outer arms how to draw a mermaid step 4
  6. Now draw in her inner arms how to draw a mermaid step 5
  7. Sketch in her hands (simple triangle shape)how to draw a mermaid step 6
  8. Draw in an hourglass torso shape (using the center curved line to keep things symmetrical)how to draw a mermaid step 7
  9. Now draw in the top part of the mermaid tail. They tail is wider at the hips then taper inwards towards the bottom of the tail.how to draw a mermaid step 8
  10. Now it's time to draw in the outer fin part of the mermaid tail. They should be like semi-circles shapes. how to draw a mermaid step 9
  11. Draw the inner fin. The shape is like a squiggly lines that meet in the middle.how to draw a mermaid step 10
  12. Now Draw in a small curved line where the tail meets the mermaids skin (torso) how to draw a mermaid step 11
  13. The last part of your mermaid is her hair. Draw in a "comma" shape as her hair outline. The hair is flowing to the right of the mermaids hip. You could also make it flow to the left if you like. how to draw a mermaid step 12
  14. Erase the pencil marks inside the mermaids hair outline (the pencil marks for the head, right shoulder, right arm,etc.). Also erase the middle curved line all along her body and tail.mermaid drawing easy
  15. Draw in the mermaid scales on her tail. The scales are rows of curved lines. The next row of curves will go in between where the last one were. It's similar to a brick pattern ( instead with curved lines). Draw in curved lines along her fin also. how to draw a mermaid easy
  16. You can now color in her mermaid with pencils or paint. For pencils you can choose a variety of blue/turquoise pencils and paint in each scale with a variety of blues, to give your mermaids tail more dimensional. You can also choose to color in the mermaid's hair and skin color with any color you choose.how to draw a mermaid colored

Did you make this project?

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Learn How To Draw Tutorials

If you’re looking for more easy drawing ideas to practice your drawing skills with, check out the following:

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