{"title":"How to Draw an Axolotl - Easy Step by Step for Kids","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/drawing/how-to-draw-an-axolotl","category":{"slug":"drawing","name":"Drawing"},"creator":{"name":"Art for Kids Hub","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5XMF3Inoi8R9nSI8ChOsdQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3mxNxt4uso"},"tldr":"Learn how to draw an axolotl with frilly gills in 10 easy steps. Start with an oval, add gills, body, legs and tail, then color it pink.","quickAnswer":"Learn how to draw an axolotl with frilly gills in 10 easy steps. An easy project: about 30 minutes. You need 4 things, including plain white paper, black permanent marker and colored pencils. The 10 steps start with draw a Bumpy Oval for the Axolotl Head, add the Axolotl Eyes and Smiling Mouth, draw the First S-Curve Axolotl Gill, draw Three Gill Branches on Each Side of the Axolotl Head and add Zigzag Fringe to the Axolotl Gills.","totalDurationSeconds":523,"videoDurationSeconds":523,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":30,"waitMinutes":null,"totalMinutes":30,"estimatedCost":null,"yield":"1 axolotl drawing"},"tools":["black permanent marker","colored pencils","white colored pencil"],"materials":["plain white paper"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Draw a Bumpy Oval for the Axolotl Head","text":"Start near the top of the paper with a wide oval for the head. Make it wider than it is tall and leave room on both sides, since the gills will stick out a long way. It does not have to be smooth. Axolotls have bumpy heads, so a wobbly line looks right. Rob and Hadley draw in black marker from the start."},{"number":2,"title":"Add the Axolotl Eyes and Smiling Mouth","text":"Draw two small ovals for the eyes, set wide apart and tipped toward the top of the head. Color them in solid black. Then draw a big happy smile right across the middle of the face. Go over the smile a second time to thicken it so the mouth looks a little open. That wide grin is a big part of the axolotl's charm."},{"number":3,"title":"Draw the First S-Curve Axolotl Gill","text":"The gills grow out of the sides of the head. From the upper side of the oval, draw an S-line that goes up and out. Then draw a second line from the tip of that S back down to the head, so the gill is pointed at the end and wider at the bottom. Repeat the same shape on the other side so they match."},{"number":4,"title":"Draw Three Gill Branches on Each Side of the Axolotl Head","text":"Add a second gill above the first one on each side, starting right next to it. Use the same S-line out and a line back in. Then add a third gill lower down on each side, curving out and down. You now have three branches on each side, like a crown. Small differences between them are fine and make it look natural."},{"number":5,"title":"Add Zigzag Fringe to the Axolotl Gills","text":"Now give the gills their feathery look. Draw small zigzag spikes along the edges of each gill, working from the base up to the tip. The top gills face you, so they get fringe on both sides. The lower gills are turned away a bit, so fringe only their undersides. Mix long and short spikes. This step takes the longest, so slow down."},{"number":6,"title":"Draw the U-Shaped Axolotl Body","text":"Under the head, draw a simple U shape for the body. Start at one side of the bottom of the head, curve down and come back up to the other side. Keep it a bit narrower than the head. Rob makes his body a little longer and Hadley keeps hers short and round. Both look good, so pick the shape you like."},{"number":7,"title":"Draw the Axolotl Arms and Fingers","text":"Start each arm right next to the neck. Draw a line that comes out to the side and bends down, then a second line next to it to give the arm thickness. At the end of each arm, draw the thumb as a small sideways V, then add the other fingers the same way and connect back to the arm. Aim for five fingers on each hand."},{"number":8,"title":"Draw the Axolotl Back Legs and Toes","text":"The back legs start at the bottom of the body. Draw a line that comes out and bends down at the end, then a matching line above it for the top of the leg. If a leg runs into a hand, stop at the fingers and continue on the other side so it looks like it goes behind. Finish each foot with five toes, drawn like the fingers."},{"number":9,"title":"Draw the Axolotl Tail Behind the Legs","text":"Draw a curve that comes down from the body and meets one of the back legs. Imagine the tail going behind that leg and continue it a little lower on the other side. Then draw the top edge of the tail curving up to meet the hand. Stop at the fingers and pick up the line past them so the tail tucks behind."},{"number":10,"title":"Color the Axolotl With Peach and Pink Pencils","text":"Color the body with peach and pink layered together for a soft, warm skin tone. For the gills, layer crimson red over pink so they look darker and brighter than the body. Add blue around the eyes. Finish with a white colored pencil to dot a highlight in each eye. Color in small circles for smooth, even shading."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-11-06T14:51:23.072Z","published":"2026-11-06T14:51:22.844Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}