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Activities / Madhubani / Madhubani Fish Motif

Madhubani Fish Motif

Madhubani Fish Motif Sketch: Learn Mithila Lines in 30 Minutes

Level
Beginner
Duration
30 - 45 mins
Budget
₹157 – ₹450
Age
8+
State
Bihar

Materials

  • Drawing paper, A4 or US Letter, 200 gsm or thicker
  • Black waterproof fineliner, 0.5 mm
  • Colour markers or sketch pens (red, yellow, blue, green)
  • Pencil (HB) and eraser
  • 30 cm ruler
  • Scrap paper to rest your hand on

Steps

  1. Set up a clean table and gather your supplies
    Sit at a table with good light, ideally near a window. Lay out one A4 sheet (or US Letter), a pencil, an eraser, a 30 cm ruler, a black fineliner with waterproof ink and three or four markers: red, yellow, blue and green. Put a scrap sheet under your drawing hand so your palm does not smudge the ink. Common mistake: using a pen that is not waterproof. The marker colour then drags the black ink and turns it grey.
    Tip: Test the pen on scrap paper: draw a line, wait a minute, rub it with a damp finger. If it smears, use another pen.
  2. Draw a double-line frame with a pencil and ruler
    Measure 2 cm in from every edge and draw a rectangle. On A4 it will be about 17 cm by 25.7 cm. Then draw a second rectangle 5 mm inside the first one. Press very lightly so the lines look faint, because you will erase them later. The 5 mm gap will be filled with small dashes at the end. Common mistake: pressing hard, which leaves grooves in the paper that show through the colour.
    Tip: Make small tick marks at the same distance from the edge on all four sides first, then join them with the ruler.
  3. Sketch the fish body as a 14 cm long almond shape
    In the middle of the frame, draw two gentle curves that meet in a point at both ends, like an almond or a leaf. Make it about 14 cm long and 6 cm tall at the widest part. Tilt it a little so the nose points to the upper left. The body should fill about half the width of the frame. Common mistake: drawing the fish too small and leaving big empty corners. A big fish is easier to decorate.
    Tip: Draw each curve in one smooth movement instead of many short strokes.
  4. Add a forked tail, two fins and a small curl for the mouth
    At the narrow end, draw a tail shaped like a V, about 4 cm wide, with slightly curved sides. Add one curved fin on top of the body and one underneath, each about 2 cm long and shaped like a small leaf. At the nose, add a tiny curl, as if the fish is smiling. Keep all lines pencil-light. If a line looks wrong, erase it and redraw it. The sketch is allowed to change.
  5. Draw one big almond-shaped eye with a dark pupil
    Near the nose, draw an almond-shaped eye about 2 cm wide. In its centre draw a circle about 8 mm across and shade it in with the pencil. This is the pupil. Madhubani figures always have large, wide eyes that stare straight out, so draw the eye bigger than feels right. Common mistake: a small eye, which makes the fish look timid instead of bold.
  6. Split the body into three zones with two curved lines
    Draw two curved lines across the body from the top edge to the bottom edge, curving the same way as the nose points. This makes three zones: a head zone of about a quarter of the body, a middle zone of about half, and a tail zone of the last quarter. Each zone will get a different pattern, and that mix of patterns is what makes a Madhubani fish look rich.
  7. Fill each zone with a different pencil pattern
    In the head zone, draw a row of dots about 5 mm apart. In the middle zone, draw scales: rows of small arcs, each about 1 cm wide, overlapping like tiny rainbows in a staggered brick pattern. In the tail zone, draw parallel slanted dashes about 3 mm apart. Add two or three short curved lines on each fin. Keep the size and spacing of each pattern even.
    Tip: Draw patterns one row at a time so the spacing stays even.
  8. Trace every pencil line with the black pen
    Go over the lines with the fineliner, slowly, one area at a time. If you are right-handed, start at the top left and work towards the bottom right (the reverse if left-handed) so your hand never drags across wet ink. Keep each line smooth and unbroken. If you slip, do not erase. Thicken the line or turn the slip into a dot. Wait 5 minutes, then erase the pencil gently.
  9. Ink the border and fill the empty background
    Trace the double frame with the pen, then fill the 5 mm gap between the two lines with short slanted dashes about 3 mm apart. Around the big fish, draw two or three small leaves, tiny fish or rows of dots so that no big white gap is left. Madhubani artists avoid empty space. Fill any blank patch bigger than your thumbnail.
  10. Colour the fish in two or three flat colours
    For example, use red for the body, yellow for the fins and tail, and blue for the leaves and the white of the eye. Colour one zone at a time, in one direction, keeping the marker moving so the colour looks even and not streaky. Colour between the black lines, not over the patterns, so the patterns stay visible. Keep colours flat, with no shading. That is how traditional Madhubani is done.
    Tip: If you are worried about crossing the black line, leave a hair-thin white gap next to it and fill it in later.
  11. Let it dry, tidy up and sign your work
    Let the colour dry for 10 minutes before you touch it. Rub out any pencil lines still showing, then sign your name in a bottom corner inside the frame. Press the caps back onto your markers firmly, because they dry out quickly, and throw away the scrap paper. Lay the drawing flat to finish drying, or stick it on a wall with tape on the top corners.

Sustainability

Medium - needs only paper and pens you may already have; reuse the back of used paper

Safety

Minimal; felt-tip ink can stain clothes