# VectorPaint fish silhouettes: separate body, tail and negative space

Language: en
Canonical: [VectorPaint fish silhouettes: separate body, tail and negative space](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-fish-silhouette/>)
中文：[中文 HTML](<https://allluckly.cn/guides/vectorpaint-fish-silhouette/>)
English: [English HTML](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-fish-silhouette/>)
Published: 2026-10-26T00:00:00+08:00
Modified: 2026-10-26T11:37:28+08:00
Author: Bison

Draw a fish silhouette with controlled Bézier curves, fin directions and gaps, then inspect recognition at a smaller size.

English translation of the [Chinese original](<https://allluckly.cn/guides/vectorpaint-fish-silhouette/>), translated on 2026-10-26. Original publication dates, attribution, code and version notes are retained.

A silhouette must communicate through its outline. Draw a fictional ornamental fish with a few controlled curves for its back, belly and tail, preserving useful negative spaces. Construct it manually without requiring tracing or image recognition.

## Establish the motion axis and body

Use a 900 by 600 pixel canvas with a slightly rising motion axis, head left and tail right. Begin with a body around two thirds of the total length, testing fullness with an ellipse. Leave space ahead of the head. Work in silhouette before adding features; fix proportions if the shape resembles a leaf.

## Draw the body with a few key nodes

Build a closed pen path through mouth, forehead, back, tail base, belly and jaw. Use handles rather than many nodes along smooth areas. Give back and belly distinct curves and inspect the filled outline without a stroke. Narrow the tail base enough to distinguish the tail from the body.

## Give the tail a clear direction

Expand the tail from its narrow base with upper and lower lobes and a shallow notch. An independent overlapping shape is acceptable if the join stays clean. Let both lobes support the motion axis without overpowering the body. Temporarily colour body and tail differently to inspect their connection, then restore the silhouette.

## Add a restrained rhythm of fins

Use simple dorsal and lower fins with few turns, connecting their bases and orienting tips consistently with movement. Preserve gaps that survive reduction and omit fine rays initially. Hide fins one at a time to judge their contribution. Enlarge or simplify tiny acute gaps that become distracting spikes at small sizes.

## Add limited internal features

Place a small eye with ample surrounding dark area and at most one short gill curve. A light-filled circle can suggest negative space but remains a filled object, not necessarily a transparent hole. Keep a simpler silhouette version without gills. Any true cut-out requires checking its actual path structure and export behaviour.

## Check the outline at three sizes

Save the original and compare large, medium and small exports, watching mouth, narrow tail base and tail notch. Remove gills before sacrificing the main silhouette. For a series, change body fullness or tail shape while preserving shared rules. Inspect transparency against light and dark backgrounds and name simple and detailed versions separately.

## Test head and tail in a solid silhouette

Hide all internal features in a copy and inspect a solid silhouette at delivery width. Identify head, tail and motion; if the eye is essential, fix head shape, tail base and notch first. Test the opposite orientation to separate composition from silhouette quality. Retain the simple version for small placements and the detailed version for larger displays.

## Repair uneven curves without adding noise

For a wavy back, remove unnecessary nodes and refine handles. For a pasted-on tail, fix its base and overlap before outlining the whole fish. A missing eye may be too small, covered or low-contrast. Judge thin gaps at delivery size and reopen the final export to confirm the correction is included.

## Related tutorials and sources

[Pen curves](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-pen-curves/>), [Bézier nodes](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-bezier-nodes/>).

Sources checked on October 26, 2026: the [official VectorPaint App Store description](<https://apps.apple.com/cn/app/id1587272880>) and [Apple public version information](<https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1587272880&country=cn>). The Chinese storefront lists version 1.0.7, requiring iOS / iPadOS 17. These are reproducible creative exercises, without a claim that every step was performed on a physical device. Dimensions, colours, numbers and content are examples. Check controls against the installed version and experiment in an independent copy after saving the original.