How to Draw Eel — Free Practice Sheets

Eels are easy to recognize but surprisingly tricky to draw well. Their long, snake-like bodies curve through the water, and a single wobbly line can make the whole drawing look stiff or lumpy. This page walks you through the key features that make an eel read as an eel: a sinuous S-curve, a tapering tail, a small pointed head, and a continuous dorsal fin running along the back. The practice sheets let you trace, copy on a grid, place a silhouette inside a frame, and finish a half-drawn eel.

Start With the Centerline, Not the Outline

Most beginners draw the outer edge of the body first, then discover the curve is uneven and the thickness changes unpredictably. A better order is to draw a single long S-shaped centerline from head to tail, tapering it as it approaches the tail tip. This line is the spine of your drawing and controls the whole pose.

Keep the S gentle. An eel's body bends smoothly rather than zigzagging, so aim for two soft curves: one near the head and one toward the tail. The centerline should get thinner toward the tail end, because the body narrows there. Once the centerline feels right, you can build thickness on both sides of it.

1. Draw a long S-shaped centerline for the body, tapering toward the tail.
2. Sketch a small pointed head at the left end with an eye and mouth line.
3. Add a continuous dorsal fin ridge along the top edge of the body.
4. Outline the body thickness and tail tip, then refine the fin and head details.

Add the Head and the Continuous Dorsal Fin

The head is small relative to the body and comes to a point. Place the eye just behind the tip and draw a short mouth line along the lower edge of the head. Avoid making the head large or round; a big round head turns the drawing into a fish or a snake rather than an eel.

The dorsal fin is the feature that most clearly separates an eel from a snake. It runs continuously along the top edge of the body, from behind the head toward the tail, without gaps. Draw it as a low ridge that follows the same S-curve as the body. Keep the fin height modest and even, and let it merge into the tail tip rather than stopping abruptly.

1. Place the eye behind the pointed head tip.
2. Draw a short mouth line along the lower head edge.
3. Run a low, unbroken fin ridge along the top edge of the body.
4. Let the fin taper into the tail tip.

Using the Practice Sheet Formats

Each sheet format trains a different part of the skill. Tracing the reference outline builds familiarity with the curve and fin placement. Copying onto a blank grid asks you to judge position and proportion using matching grid intersections. The bounding frame and center guide help you place the silhouette before adding details. The complete-the-drawing sheet gives you the left portion and asks you to finish the right side using the full reference.

After any format, compare your drawing with the separate full reference sheet. Check the S-curve, the taper toward the tail, the continuous fin, and the small pointed head. Small differences in curve shape are fine; the goal is to preserve the visible features and proportions.

1. Trace the outline first to learn the curve.
2. Copy onto the grid using matching intersections.
3. Use the frame and center guide to place the silhouette.
4. Finish the blank right-hand portion from the full reference.

Refining the Body Thickness and Tail

Once the centerline and fin are in place, outline the body thickness on both sides. Keep the thickness fairly consistent through the middle and narrow it gradually toward the tail. A common problem is a body that bulges in the middle and then pinches suddenly, which looks like two different animals joined together.

Finish the tail tip as a clean taper that meets the fin. Then check the whole drawing at a glance: does the body read as one continuous sinuous form? If the curve looks stiff, redraw the centerline rather than patching the outline.

1. Outline thickness evenly along the middle of the body.
2. Narrow the body gradually toward the tail.
3. Taper the tail tip cleanly into the fin.
4. Redraw the centerline if the curve looks stiff.

Check your work

• The body follows a long, sinuous S-curve rather than a straight or zigzag line.
• The body tapers gradually toward a clean tail tip.
• A continuous dorsal fin runs along the top edge of the body without gaps.
• The head is small and pointed, with an eye and a mouth line.
• Body thickness stays fairly even through the middle and narrows toward the tail.
• The drawing reads as one continuous form when viewed at a glance.

Worked example

eel: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Drawing a round or oversized head. Keep the head small and pointed, with the eye just behind the tip and a short mouth line.
• Leaving gaps in the dorsal fin. Draw one continuous low ridge along the top edge from behind the head to the tail tip.
• Making the body bulge in the middle and pinch suddenly at the tail. Keep thickness even through the middle and narrow it gradually toward the tail.

Questions and answers