How to Draw a Mermaid Tail
Draw a simple mermaid tail with smooth flowing lines and decorative scales. This guide shows how to build the shape step by step and finish it with an easy color scheme.
Prepare to Draw a Mermaid Tail
You have probably seen this recognizable shape in illustrations, animated films, fairy tales, and images of a mermaid.
The mermaid is a mythical character that appears in stories and legends around the world. Most illustrations show mermaids as female water spirits with a human upper body and a fish tail.
After completing this drawing, you can easily add the tail when drawing a mermaid. It also works well in an underwater scene with an ocean wave or a beach in the background.
The entire drawing is built with smooth curved lines. If you’d like a cleaner result, simply repeat the steps one more time and refine the shape as you go.
Mermaid Tail Drawing Tutorial
Materials
- Pencil
- Paper
- Eraser
- Coloring supplies
Time needed: 25 minutes
How to draw a mermaid tail step by step
- Draw one side of the mermaid tail.
Draw a single flowing line that curves gently from top to bottom. This line forms the first outer edge of the mermaid tail.
- Add the opposite side of the tail.
Draw a second curved line on the right. Match its shape to the first line so the mermaid tail gradually becomes narrower toward the bottom.
- Connect the top of the mermaid tail.
Join the upper ends of the two lines with a short curved stroke. This completes the basic outline of the upper part of the tail.
- Draw the first tail fin.
Add the left half of the fin using two smooth curved lines. Let the fin extend naturally from the bottom of the mermaid tail.
- Complete the tail fin.
Draw the second half of the fin beneath the first one. Use matching curves so the fin has a balanced, flowing shape.
- Draw the scales.
Near the top of the mermaid tail, fill the surface with small overlapping arcs arranged in neat rows to create the scale pattern.
- Add fin details.
Draw several curved lines inside the fin. Vary their length slightly to suggest the texture of the fin without changing its outline.
- Color the mermaid tail.
Use blue, turquoise, or another cool color for the tail. You can apply a darker shade to the scales or fin to make the drawing more expressive.
Mermaid Tail Drawing Printables
Download the printable PDF to keep a simplified version of this tutorial along with the extra worksheets. You can use it anytime without reopening the page.
Conclusion
Now you have finished drawing a simple mermaid tail using just a few smooth lines and decorative details. You can easily change the shape of the fin or try different colors to create another version.
If you’d like to complete the character, continue by drawing a mermaid. You’ll be able to use this tail as part of the full figure.
You can also practice drawing the Little Mermaid to see how the same basic tail shape works in a finished cartoon character.
For another sea-themed drawing, try drawing an ocean wave and place your mermaid in a complete underwater scene.
