How to Draw a Starfish

A starfish is one of the most recognized and iconic creatures of the beach. If you are a beginner when it comes to drawing, the starfish is a good place to start. With a very basic and flat shape, you can master drawing a starfish in a few easy steps. The next time you are at the beach, it's a great idea to practice sketching the starfish you see using the basic principles outlined below.

Instructions

1. 

   Start off with the five directions of the arms. These will be general lines that will go where the arms should be. The arms are bent, so bend the line in the same way as in the example image.

2. 

   Start to outline the lines in the simple arched arm shape. Follow it all the way around until you have a starfish shape.

3. 

   Make sure to overlap some of the lines where the arms meet, as in the example image. Fix any errors in your lines and make the shape exactly how you want it.

4. 

   Shade the arms on the edges to create depth. Try to stay consistent and shade them in the same way a shadow would be cast with a light source. Having the reference is extremely helpful for this. You can shade using parallel sketch lines, cross hatching or shading in with the side of your pencil. All three are shown in the example image.

Tips & Warnings

• Color in your starfish.

Resources

• Starfish