How to Draw Lanternfish — Free Practice Sheets

Lanternfish are small deep-sea fish with compact, deep bodies, large round eyes, and rows of light-producing spots called photophores. This page shows you how to capture those identifying features in a drawing, first by tracing a reference outline and then by practising the contour on your own. The goal is not a pixel-perfect copy but a clear, recognisable fish with correct proportions and visible features.

Start with the body shape

A lanternfish body is deeper than it is long, roughly oval, with a rounded head and a tail that tapers toward the caudal fin. Begin by drawing that compact oval, then narrow it gently at the tail end. Keep the head full and rounded rather than pointed. This deep, short silhouette is the first clue that separates a lanternfish from a slender fish such as a herring.

Place the large circular eye near the front of the head, leaving a small gap of head in front of it. Add a small mouth at the very front. The eye should be noticeably large relative to the head, because lanternfish are visual hunters in dim water.

1. Draw a compact, deep oval for the body with a rounded head and a tapering tail.
2. Add the large circular eye near the front of the head and a small mouth at the tip.
3. Check that the body is deeper than it is long before adding fins.

Add the small fins

Lanternfish have several small fins rather than one large showy fin. Sketch a small dorsal fin on the upper back, a pectoral fin on each side behind the head, a pelvic fin on the lower body, an anal fin near the tail underside, and a caudal fin at the tail end. Keep each fin modest in size so the body stays the dominant shape.

Attach fins to the body outline rather than floating them nearby. A fin should look like it grows from the body, with its base touching the contour. If a fin looks too large, shrink it; oversized fins change the fish's proportions and make it read as a different species.

1. Sketch a small dorsal fin on the upper back.
2. Add pectoral fins behind the head and a pelvic fin on the lower body.
3. Place a small anal fin near the tail underside and a caudal fin at the tail end.
4. Confirm each fin base touches the body outline.

Mark the photophores and shade

The photophores are the lanternfish's signature feature. Mark small round dots along the lower belly and along the flank, keeping them evenly spaced and close to the body edge. These are the light organs, so treat them as distinct circles rather than smudges. A row along the belly and a row along the flank is enough to communicate the feature.

Finish with line shading to suggest the dark body. Use parallel strokes or gentle cross-hatching over the body, leaving the eye and photophores clear. Shading should follow the body's curve so the oval still reads as rounded.

1. Mark evenly spaced round photophores along the lower belly.
2. Add a second row of photophores along the flank.
3. Apply line shading over the dark body, keeping the eye and photophores visible.

Trace, then draw independently

Trace the reference outline first to learn where each feature sits. Then set the traced sheet aside and draw the contour on a blank sheet, comparing your result with the separate full reference sheet. This two-step approach builds memory of the proportions rather than relying on the outline.

When you compare, check the large round eye, the compact deep body, the small fins, and the photophores along the belly and flank. Different drawings can be correct; assess the visible features and proportions rather than pixel-perfect matching.

1. Trace the reference outline to learn feature placement.
2. Draw the contour independently on a blank sheet.
3. Compare with the full reference sheet and note which features need adjustment.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most errors come from stretching the body, enlarging the fins, or losing the photophores. Correcting these keeps the drawing recognisable as a lanternfish.

1. Keep the body deep and short rather than long and slender.
2. Keep fins small and attached to the body.
3. Keep photophores as distinct round dots, not smudges.

Frequently asked questions

These answers address the most common points about drawing this fish.

1. Use the reference sheet to check proportions, not to demand an exact copy.
2. Draw photophores as small circles along the belly and flank.
3. Shade last so the eye and light organs stay clear.

Check your work

• Body is compact and deep, with a rounded head and tapering tail.
• Eye is large and circular, placed near the front of the head.
• Small dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, anal, and caudal fins are present and attached to the body.
• Photophores appear as distinct round dots along the lower belly and flank.
• Line shading suggests a dark body while keeping the eye and photophores visible.

Worked example

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

Common mistakes

• Drawing a long, slender body like a herring. Redraw the outline as a deep oval that is shorter than it is tall, with a rounded head.
• Making the fins too large or detached from the body. Shrink each fin and move its base so it touches the body contour.
• Smudging the photophores into a blur. Draw each photophore as a separate small circle and keep them evenly spaced.

Questions and answers