How To Draw A Largemouth Bass

Easy, step by step Bass drawing tutorial

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The bass is a North American game fish or sport fish, part of a family of fishes known as sunfish. A number of unrelated saltwater fish are known as sea bass.

There are thirteen species of bass that live in lakes and streams. They can grow to be 80 centimeters (more than 31 inches) in length and weigh 10 kilograms (22 pounds). Bass feed on a diet of smaller fishes. Bass are favored by fishermen, and the largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, both known as black bass, have been introduced to the waterways of other countries for this reason.

In popular culture, this species is memorably represented by Big Mouth Billy Bass, a mounted trophy fish who sang songs such as "Take Me to the River" and "Don't Worry Be Happy." Billy Bass, in turn, has made cameo appearances in a number of films, including Disney's WALL-E, and television series such as The Simpsons and The Office. Large body-pillow sized plush basses are sometimes sold in sporting goods stores throughout the fish's range.

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Would you like to draw a playful cartoon bass? This easy, step-by-step wildlife cartoon drawing tutorial can show you how. All you will need is a pencil, an eraser, and a sheet of paper.

If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Goldfish, Koi Fish, and Cartoon Shark.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing a Bass

Bass drawing - step 1

1. Begin by drawing the fish's lips. Use two long curved lines to form a sideways heart shape. Notice that the shape is incomplete near the point.

Bass drawing - step 2

2. Detail the mouth. Draw two curved lines in a sideways "Y" shape to outline the edges of the lips. Use additional curved lines to enclose the tongue, to draw the ribbed pattern on the top of the mouth, and to create the smile line at the mouth's corner.

Bass drawing - step 3

3. Use curved lines to outline the fish's face. Use overlapping lines for the lower jaw and eye ridges, a single line for the cheek. Note that the far brow is an enclosed semi-circular shape.

Bass drawing - step 4

4. Draw the bass's eye. Use overlapping curved lines to draw the cheek and enclose the eye. Then, draw two successively smaller circles and shade between them to indicate the pupil.

Bass drawing - step 5

5. Outline the body using two long, curved lines. The lines should draw closer together as they near the tail, then diverge to outline the top and bottom of the tail fins.

Bass drawing - step 6

6. Draw the dorsal fin on the fish's back. Use pairs of curved lines that meet at a point to enclose the spines or spikes. Then, connect the tip of each spine using a curved line.

Bass drawing - step 7

7. Draw the pelvic fins and anal fins along the fish's stomach, erasing as necessary. For each fin, begin with a curved line as its base. Then, use a long curved line and double it back upon itself to enclose the irregular shape. Detail the fin with rows of curved lines.

Bass drawing - step 8

8. Draw the pectoral fins. Again, start with a curved line as the base, then enclose the shape of the fin. Detail it with curved lines.

Bass drawing - step 9

9. Draw the tail or caudal fins. Extend long curved lines from the base of the tail. Connect them with a pair of curved lines that form a sweeping "V" shape. Draw a wavy line at the base of the tail, creating the division known as the peduncle. Detail the tail with rows of curved lines.

Complete Bass drawing

Color your cartoon bass. Bass are typically green, brown, and cream in color.

Fish swim in schools - you can get schooled on how to draw more underwater wildlife when you check out our collection of animal drawing guides.

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Printable Drawing Tutorial

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