Sladjana
Butterflies are flying insects that are typically the adult form of certain insects in the group called Lepidoptera.
Similar to other insects, butterflies have three body parts, six jointed legs, a pair of antennae, compound eyes, and an exoskeleton.
They are particularly distinguished for their enormous two pairs of wings covered with colorful, iridescent scales in overlapping rows.
The beauty of butterflies has created a huge demand for a butterfly drawing tutorial. You’ve asked for it, so we delivered.
Finally, we have created a step-by-step tutorial on how to draw a butterfly, summed up in 9 easy and simple steps. With this comprehensive guide, drawing a butterfly is made easier and more fun!
Whether you are a beginner or an expert in drawing, we’re sure you can draw a beautiful butterfly with the help of this comprehensive guide.
So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and get a piece of paper and grab your favorite drawing tool and let’s get started! Don’t forget to prepare your coloring materials too!
Have fun and unleash your creativity!
How to Draw a Butterfly – Let’s get started!
Step 1
Starting in the middle left portion of your paper, draw a perfect circle to outline the head of the butterfly.
It’s important to draw the head in the right spot to make sure that there will be enough space left for the butterfly’s large wings.
Feel free to use a compass if you can’t freehand a perfect circle. A compass is a drawing tool that helps you draw an even and flawless circle quickly and easily.
You may also draw a horizontal and a vertical line across the paper to create reference lines. This will ensure that your drawing will be positioned correctly.
Step 2 – Outline the Butterfly’s Head and Body
Right underneath the outline of the head, draw a narrow diagonal shape with a curved end. This shape outlines the body of the butterfly, as shown in the illustration.
Step 3 – Afterwards, Draw the Left Forewing
Draw a wing on the upper left side of the butterfly’s body. The wing should be slightly raised to make the butterfly appear like it is currently flying.
Step 4 – Then, Draw the Left Hindwing
Draw another wing right beside the forewing that we drew in the previous step to complete the butterfly’s left wings.
This time, however, the hindwing must be relatively smaller than the forewing, as shown in the illustration.
Step 5 – Now, Draw the Right Forewing
Repeat the third step on the other side of the butterfly’s body. Keep in mind that the right forewing should be facing the right side, opposite the left forewing.
Step 6 – Add Inner Patterns on its Wings
Create a design on the butterfly’s wings by drawing a symmetrical pattern following the outline of the wings.
The symmetrical shape must be near the body and far from the edge of the wings.
Step 7 – Add Outer Patterns on its Wings
Repeat the previous step by drawing another symmetrical shape in between the inner outline we drew in the last step and the edge of the wings.
If you want to make your butterfly’s wings appear more dimensional and realistic, you can draw multiple veins on each wing. Butterflies naturally have straight lines visible on their wings and it’s called “wing veins”.
Step 8 – Now, Add Markings on its Body
Draw multiple horizontal lines down the length of the body of your butterfly. See to it that the lines are parallel and slightly apart from each other.
Afterwards, draw a pair of antennae with circular tips right at the top of the butterfly’s head.
Step 9 – Put a Wide Smile on its Face
In this step, we will be giving your butterfly an expression by drawing its facial features.
Start by drawing two tiny shaded circles to create the eyes. Then, draw a small upward curved line below the eyes to form the smile. Now, your butterfly should look extremely happy!
Finally, it’s time to do the most exciting part—choosing the colors and filling in the colors for your awesome drawing!
Butterflies come in a wide range of vibrant colors, but nearly all of them have a hint of black pigment on their wings.
If you have a favorite color, there is most likely a butterfly with that color. Most butterflies even have more than one color. This gives you a lot of color options to play around with when coloring your butterfly drawing.
A butterfly’s most beautiful and mesmerizing anatomical features are its wings. So, make sure to put a variety of vibrant colors on the butterfly’s wings to make them stand out!
Do this to take your butterfly drawing to the next level
Make this pretty butterfly sketch even more beautiful with these ideas.
What could be better than seeing a beautiful butterfly outside? Seeing more than one, of course!
That’s why we think it would look great to add some more butterflies to this drawing of a butterfly.
The best part is that you could follow through the guide again and replicate what you created here.
By changing just a few details, you could have a group of unique, beautiful butterflies.
How many do you think you would like to have flying around in this wonderful scene you are creating?
Adding more butterflies is just one of the ways that you can populate this picture. There are many more beautiful insects and small creatures that you could add as well.
For example, moths are similar to butterflies but tend to have more subdued appearances. Adding some moths could be a nice contrast for the colorful butterfly.
Or, you could add grasshoppers, ladybugs or whichever insects you like the most! What are some insects you could add to this artwork?
Bringing the focus back to the butterfly drawing, you could also customize the wings to suit your own preferences.
This is something you could do whether you are drawing one butterfly or want to add more as we suggested in the first step.
Butterfly wings can have some incredible colors and patterns, so you could really get creative with how you decorate the wings. What are some colors and patterns you would like to use for this butterfly?
Finally, you could show off where this pretty insect is enjoying its day by adding a background for your butterfly sketch. Butterflies can be found in many different environments and locations, so you could pick any setting you like.
You could start off by using your own yard or a park you love to visit and then replicate the area in your own image. Or, you could imagine a brand new location for this butterfly to fly through.
Your Butterfly Drawing is Complete!
Butterflies are absolutely beautiful creatures. They are pleasing to look at and seeing them just simply makes your day brighter!
Hopefully, with this step-by-step butterfly drawing tutorial, you can learn how to draw a butterfly so you can always have one by your side at all times!
We think this artwork would look great to be hanged up on a wall once it’s colored and framed. It will definitely make a great decoration for the interior of your house.
What do you think? In which part of your house do you imagine your butterfly drawing would look best? Perhaps in the living room or in your bedroom?
Don’t forget to show off the results of your hard work by sharing your masterpiece on our Facebook page and on Pinterest. Don’t be shy—we’re sure it looks incredible!
We can’t wait to see your colorful butterfly drawing!
