how to draw a starfish

In this lesson, you will learn how to draw a starfish that looks cute and appealing using simple digital tips. You will have the opportunity to turn a very simple shape (a star) into a complex cartoon illustration filled with shadows, gradient colors and depth. Although it might not be the most interesting creature to work with, you can definitely have some fun while drawing all the elements that are needed to complete this tutorial. Ready? Let's begin this lesson now ...

drawing the body using a simple star

First, draw a large star that will be used as a template for this lesson. Then, draw the body of the cartoon starfish around the basic shape. Notice how lines are irregular and made from several small curves. Once you are satisfied with the body of the creature, you can erase the template (with the gray lines).

Adding spines and a pattern

You can now draw spines along all five arms using small irregular circles. These circles can be slightly larger near the middle of the illustration. A large pattern is also created around these spines. That's already it for the drawing part of the lesson. Let's proceed to the next part of this lesson. Adding colors and digital effects.

Adding plain colors to the creature

For this illustration, you will need to apply a few simple brown colors. The spines are bright and very pale. The pattern around these spines is mostly orange. Finally, the body is filled with a dark brown color. All strokes and outlines are also colored in brown.

working with gradient fills

Next, it's time to give some depth and volume to the cartoon starfish using basic gradient fills. Our goal is to apply a second color to all five parts that are located behind the spines and the pattern.

As you can see below, the edges of the creature are now darker while the center is slightly brighter. We need to add one more step to make this illustration even more appealing ...

Shadows to complete this drawing tutorial

Around each spine, draw a dark circle that must be partially transparent on top. Then, create new shapes near the edges of the creature. These new elements must be darker and should also be partially transparent.

Hope you had fun learning how to draw a starfish

Below you can see the final illustration once all colors and effects are added. You can also see all six steps required to illustrate this creature properly. Now that you are more familiar with this subject, don't hesitate to try more shapes, patterns and colors. Starfishes are fun to draw because they are simple to achieved. Don't forget to practice as often as possible and have fun drawing! :)

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