How to Draw a Mermaid: Easy Step-by-Step for Kids
How to draw a mermaid in 14 easy steps
A mermaid looks fancy, but she is really just a few friendly shapes: big flowing hair, a circle for the face, a small body, and one long tail that flares into a fish fin. Draw the big shapes first and the magic appears on its own.
Follow the fourteen steps below on paper, or tap "Draw it live" and DrawAlong will guide each line on screen, checking every stroke as you go.
How to draw a mermaid, step by step
1Draw the big flowing hair down to her waist
Start with the biggest shape: her long flowing hair. Go up and over the top of her head, then let it tumble all the way down to her waist on both sides.
2Draw a big circle for the face
Draw a big circle for her face, tucked snugly inside all that hair.
3Draw the neck and tummy down to the waist
Draw her body: two lines coming down from the hair, joined by a straight line across at her waist.
4Draw the long curvy tail with its big fin
Now the best part: from her waist, draw the long tail. It curves to one side, gets skinnier, then flares out into a big two-part fin at the bottom.
5Draw the left arm down her side
Draw her left arm, a gentle curve from her shoulder down to her hip.
6Draw the right arm down her side
Draw her right arm the same way on the other side.
7Draw the seashell top across her chest
Add her seashell top: two little bumps side by side across her chest, like two tiny hills.
8Draw a scale line across the tail
Draw a curvy line across the tail. That is the first row of scales.
9Add another scale line below it
Add another curvy scale line a little lower down.
10Add a line inside the right fin
Draw a straight line inside the right part of the tail fin.
11Add a line inside the left fin
Add a matching line inside the left part of the fin.
12Draw the left eye
Draw a small circle for her left eye.
13Draw the right eye
Draw her right eye to match.
14Add a little smile
Finish with a big happy smile from cheek to cheek. Your mermaid is ready for the sea!
Time to color!
Classic mermaid look: coral red hair, a green tail with a darker band of scales, and a pink seashell top. Paint the background sky blue and she is swimming!
In the live version, coloring is tap-to-fill: pick a color, tap a part, done.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a mermaid too hard for young kids?
- It is a medium drawing, a small step up from our easy ones. The tricky-looking parts, the hair and the tail, are each just one big line, so most kids ages 5 and up can finish it with a little patience. Younger artists may want a grown-up nearby for the tail.
- What if the lines come out wobbly?
- Wobbly is wonderful. Mermaid hair is supposed to be wavy! In the app, DrawAlong checks each stroke gently and only asks for a retry when a line is far off, so wobbly-but-close always counts.
- What do we need to draw along?
- On paper: anything you like, a pencil, crayons or markers. On screen: DrawAlong runs free in the browser on a tablet, phone or computer, and a finger or stylus works great. Coloring happens right in the app when the last line is done.
Draw this mermaid live, right now
DrawAlong guides every line on screen, cheers your child on, and the picture always comes out great.
Try it free →