Animals · A drawing idea for little artists
How to Draw a Swimming Axolotl with Bubbles
Build feathery gills, four little feet and a long fin tail, with blue bubbles above.
For iPad & iPhone · In-app purchases
These 4 pictures show selected moments from the drawing. For every step in between and a guide on your canvas, get the full lesson in LittlePaper.
What you will learn
Connect a rounded head to a long swimming silhouette, arrange three gill branches on each side and distinguish four short legs from the large fin tail.
Shapes and proportions
Keep the head and body low on the page so there is space for bubbles above. Extend the tail behind the head in a shallow curve; the fin follows its direction rather than forming a separate floating shape.
A common mistake
Drawing the feathery gill edges as one dark clump hides the three branches. A short, blunt tail and four mismatched feet can also obscure the swimming pose.
How to fix it
Sketch the central gill branches first, then add short zigzag edges along them. Keep small spaces between branches, taper the tail gradually and compare all four feet before coloring.
Learn how to draw a swimming axolotl by extending a long body and tail behind its rounded head. The six external gill branches carry short, feathery edges, while four small legs make the pose different from a simple tadpole.
These four selected stages show the gilled head, the body with feet, the fin and bubbles, and a new golden crayon finish. They are highlights rather than every intermediate step. Use the complete nine-frame sequence in LittlePaper to follow the smaller additions in order.
A few things to start with
Paper, pencil, eraser, gold, coral and pale blue crayons; or the drawing tools in LittlePaper.
A little peek at the drawing
1 / 4
Selected stages · The complete drawing sequence is in the app.
Shapes, character & color
A look at the drawing stages.
Try the shape tips below on paper. When you’re ready to draw along with each small step, continue in LittlePaper.
- 01Selected stage
Build a head with three gill branches per side
Place the eyes and smile inside the rounded head. Extend three gill branches on each side, then add short feathery zigzags around them. Keep visible spaces between the branches so their direction stays clear.
Build a head with three gill branches per side · Preview image 1 of 4 - 02Selected stage
Join the long body and all four small feet
This later stage carries the back into a long tapered tail and adds four short legs below the body. Let the feet fan outward. Check that each limb connects to the body and that none is floating beside it.
Join the long body and all four small feet · Preview image 2 of 4 - 03Selected stage
Wrap the tail fin and leave room for bubbles
Follow the tail with a second wavy outline to form its fin. Keep the fin narrow near the tip. Add separate circles of different sizes above the animal; leaving clear space around them makes the swimming scene easier to read.
Wrap the tail fin and leave room for bubbles · Preview image 3 of 4 - 04Selected stage
Coordinate golden limbs, coral gills and blue bubbles
Color the head, body, tail center and all four legs gold. Match the coral on both gill clusters, use a paler gold for the fin and pale blue for every bubble. Leave the small spaces between the gills clear.
Coordinate golden limbs, coral gills and blue bubbles · Preview image 4 of 4
A little practice goes a long way
Make room for your own ideas.
Keep the body, tail center and all four legs the same gold. Use coral on both gill clusters, a lighter gold on the fin and one pale blue for the bubbles. Preserve the gaps between the gill branches instead of coloring them as solid patches.
The next little step is yours
Like the idea?
Let’s make it together.
Open the “Swimming Axolotl: Feathery Gills and Bubbles” drawing idea in LittlePaper for the complete sequence. Follow a guide, pause when you need, and add your own colors.
Download LittlePaper from the App Store, then open the drawing idea inside the app.
Every step, at your pace.
See the full drawing sequence. Pause, replay, and take another look whenever a shape needs practice.
A guide where you draw.
Trace on the canvas, then try your own lines with a finger or Apple Pencil on a compatible iPad.
Make it yours. Keep the making.
Add crayon color, replay your creation, and give your picture a home in a digital 3D book.
