A seahorse with a loosely curled tail

Practice a seahorse with clear forms and selected overlaps. Add a gently bent snout, small eye and broad belly. Use a few rounded bumps for the crown. Add a small fan fin and a few widely spaced segment curves. Keep graphite under the chin and inside the tail bend.

A way into the drawing

1. Follow the curved spine

   Draw a flowing line from the head through the rounded belly and into a loose tail curl. Keep the curl open.

2. Shape the head and body

   Add a gently bent snout, small eye and broad belly. Use a few rounded bumps for the crown.

3. Keep the segments broad

   Add a small fan fin and a few widely spaced segment curves. Keep graphite under the chin and inside the tail bend.

A small thing to tryKeep the tail attached with a gradual taper rather than a sudden thin join.