Simple Doodles & Easy Drawing Ideas for Bullet Journals: Serene Koi Pond Edition

You don’t need to be a full-blown artist to include hand-drawn elements in your bullet journal, planner, or journal! Almost anything you want to draw in your journal can be broken down into basic shapes and by adding detail on top of it, you’ll have drawn something simple and adorable in your journal.

So if you’ve been wanting to try drawing in your journal, but have let a lack a skill or confidence let you do it, I’m here to tell you it’s possible and fun!

Grab some supplies and let’s jump into this new series on simple doodles and easy drawing ideas for your journal. We’ll be focusing on a serene koi pond theme for today’s doodles. Drop a comment to let me know what other themed doodles you’d like me to break down!

Supplies

While you don’t need a ton of supplies for these doodles, you will need a few! Check out this blog post for my recommendations, but look around to see what you have already.

Firstly, you’ll want your journal - I’m partial to the Archer & Olive brand.

Secondly, you’ll want a pencil. Any pencil will do, but I do love these twisty Paper Mate pencils (affiliate link)!

Thirdly, a pen or a couple of markers. I use two different thicknesses while doodling, a thicker 08 sized one and a thinner 01 sized one from this pack of Two Hands art pens (affiliate link). I like these pens in particular because after they’re fully dry, they don’t smear - at least not with the markers I’ve tried! You could also just use one pen or marker and double up for the thicker lines.

Optional: Some colored markers or highlighters to add some color to your doodles!

Simple and Serene Koi Pond Doodles

Gently Swimming Koi Fish

You can start off with a pencil and ink it later, or you can start with a pen or marker if you feel comfortable!

1. Draw a long, wavy tear shape. The is a top view of a koi’s body, with the head being the round part and the tail at the pointy part.
2. Draw a line following the curve of the body kinda in the middle of the long, wavy tear shape. Then draw a wiggly line connecting both ends. The start and end should create a narrower space than the middle space. This is the dorsal fin.
3. Close to the top of the dorsal fin and on the body, draw two fins. The outer part of these fins should be a bit wavy. Close to the bottom of the dorsal fin and on the body, draw two small fins using a C-shape. Lastly, draw the tail fin by making it long and flowy - the end should be a bit wavy.
4. On all the fins, use your thinner pen or marker to draw a few lines. The lines on the dorsal fin should be C-shaped, this helps create a rounded feel to the dorsal fin.
5. Using your thinner pen or marker, draw random curvy lines on the body. These will be your blocks of color if you decide to color it in.
6. Draw in some eyes on the head area and two wavy lines for the whiskers/barbels.

Blossoming Lotus Flower

This one for sure needs a pencil to start off with! The inking can be done all with the thicker or thinner pen/marker, your choice. 

1. Using a pencil, draw 5 concentric circles, all centered around the same point and roughly spaced kinda equally apart.
2. On the innermost circle, trace the circle with a wavy path. This is the center of the lotus flower.
3. Using the next circle as a guide, draw 10 petals.
4. Using the next circle as a guide, draw 10 more petals.
5. Using the next circle as a guide, draw 6 petals.
6. Using the next circle as a guide, draw 6 petals. Erase your circles and you’ve got a lovely lotus flower!

Languidly Cruising Row Boat

Since the boat doodle requires some erasing in the middle step, make sure to start off with a pencil first.

1. Draw a long football shape, with one end as a straight line instead of a point. This is our boat shape with the point being the front. When inking, use the thicker pen/marker. 
2. Draw a smaller football shape inside the first one, roughly evenly spaced from the first/outer one. This smaller shape is the bottom of the boat. When inking, use the thicker pen/marker. 
3. Draw one line parallel to the straight line at the end of the boat, erase part of the smaller football shape between these two lines. This is the back support beam. Draw two more parallel lines close to each other and closer to the front, erase part of the smaller football shape between these two lines. This is the seat support beam. Lastly, draw a skinny kite shape to connect the two front points of the football shapes, erase part of the bigger football shape inside the kite. When inking, use the thicker pen/marker. 
4. On the floor of the boat, draw some straight lines going from the pointy tip to the flat end of the boat. These are the planks that make up the floor. When inking, use the thinner pen/marker. 
5. Between the two football shapes, draw some straight lines connecting them. Do not draw these lines inside the support beams. When inking, use the thinner pen/marker. 
6. Draw two lines starting at the seat support beam and going out, draw a rough rectangular shape at the end of each line. These are the oars. When inking, use the thicker pen/marker. 

Leafy Lily Pad

This one also would be better if you start off with a pencil.

1. Draw a circle shape and mark the center with a pencil.
2. Draw a pie shape with the point of the pie not going all the way to the center. Erase the part of the circle that overlaps with the pie shape to make a rough Pacman shape.
3. Following the circle and pie shapes, draw a wavy line to create the outer edge of the lily pad. Erase your circle. When inking, use the thicker pen/marker. 
4. Using your thinner pen/marker, follow the same wavy line from the previous step, just on the inside to create a bit of a border. 
5. Draw wavy line shapes to the center using the thinner pen/marker. Erase your center after this.
6. Draw smaller wavy lines using your thinner pen/marker from the wavy lines in the previous step to the outer edge.

Calmly Moving Koi Fish

You can start off with a pencil and ink it later, or you can start with a pen or marker if you feel comfortable!

1. Draw a long, curved tear shape. The is a top view of a koi’s body, with the head being the round part and the tail at the pointy part.
2. Draw a line following the curve of the body kinda in the middle of the long, curved tear shape. Then draw a wiggly line connecting both ends. The start and end should create a narrower space than the middle space. This is the dorsal fin.
3. Close to the top of the dorsal fin and on the body, draw two fins. The outer part of these fins should be a bit wavy. Close to the bottom of the dorsal fin and on the body, draw two small fins using a C-shape. Lastly, draw the tail fin by making it long and flowy - the end should be a bit wavy.
4. On all the fins, use your thinner pen or marker to draw a few lines. The lines on the dorsal fin should be C-shaped, this helps create a rounded feel to the dorsal fin.
5. Using your thinner pen or marker, draw random curvy lines on the body. These will be your blocks of color if you decide to color it in.
6. Draw in some eyes on the head area and two wavy lines for the whiskers/barbels.
   

Koi Pond Doodles, Check!

See? It’s really not too bad to create fun doodles even if you think you have no skill, these doodles are simple enough for anyone to follow along.

If you use these steps in making your own doodles in your journal, I’d love if you give me a tag! You can find me as TabletAndQuill on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

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