Caroline
In nature, there are many incredible and beautiful creatures both big and small that you can admire.
Of all of these, there are few species that boast the stunningly beautiful variety that butterflies display.
These insects come in many different shapes, sizes and designs, but they display some of the most intricate and colorful designs found in nature on their wings.
This makes them popular to depict in art, and learning how to draw a sketch butterfly is a great way to get started with this.
If you would like to know just how you can create some beautiful artwork featuring this incredible insect, then read on!
Our step-by-step guide on how to draw a sketch butterfly in just 6 easy steps will get you started with recreating these beautiful creatures.
How to Draw A Sketch Butterfly – Let’s Get Started!
Step 1
To begin this guide on how to draw a sketch butterfly, we will start things off simply by drawing the outlines of the tops of the wings.
Each wing will be drawn using a curved line to form a shape that has a small opening at the inner side. The shapes will be narrower at these inner edges and then get wider as they extend outward.
Try your best to get these shapes looking symmetrical, and when you’re happy that they look like our reference image we can proceed to step 2!
Step 2 – Now, draw the bottom halves of the wings
You drew the top portions of the wings in the previous step of this sketch butterfly drawing, and in this one we will be drawing the bottom portions.
To do this, we will be adding a smaller rounded shape to the base of each top portion.
Each of these shapes will begin near the outer edges of the top shapes, and they will extend inward to leave a space at the center.
This space in the center is where the body of the butterfly will go later, and we will be drawing that very soon!
Step 3 – Draw the body of the sketch butterfly
In the previous step of this guide on how to draw a sketch butterfly, we mentioned that we would soon be drawing the body of this insect.
We will follow through on that promise as we add it right now!
First, draw a small rounded shape that has two oval eyes on either side of the head. Then, draw another oval shape beneath this for the central section of the body.
You can then draw six curved lines (three on either side) of this section for the legs of the butterfly.
Finish off by drawing another long, thin oval segment for the abdomen of the insect, and then we can proceed to step 4 of this tutorial.
Step 4 – Next, draw the decorative elements of the wings
The outline of the wings and the body of this sketch butterfly drawing are complete, and now we get to the most creative parts of this drawing!
For the next few steps, we will be focusing on designing and coloring the patterns on the wings.
We mentioned earlier in the guide that it is advisable to keep this drawing looking symmetrical, and this is especially the case for this decoration.
In our example image, we used some circular shapes in the top sections that have smaller circles within them.
We then used a series of curved lines surrounding these circles to create an intricate pattern. When you have drawn these patterns, we will fill in the bottom halves of the wings in the next part!
Step 5 – Add the final details to your sketch butterfly drawing
Now you’re ready to fill in the final details of this guide on how to draw a sketch butterfly! This will leave you prepared for some coloring fun in the final step.
To complete the design we added some more circular shapes surrounded by curved line patterns in the bottom halves of the wings.
If you like our design, you can copy it exactly as it appears in our example image!
This is a step where you could also add some decorative details of your own to create a brand new butterfly design!
Additionally, you could also create a background to make this incredible drawing even more dynamic.
What do you think you will do to finish off this image?
Bonus: Check Out These Tips If You Struggled With This Drawing
When you set out on this guide on how to draw a sketch butterfly, you may have assumed it would be easy because of the word ‘sketch.’
That word brings a quick drawing to mind, but while you could draw this quite quickly, it’s still rather complex when you really get down to it.
If you got to this point of the guide and aren’t happy with how your drawing is looking, worry not as we have some tips for you to make it a bit easier.
Perhaps the best way to make this sketch butterfly easier to draw would be to simplify the details a bit. The best place to start would be by focusing on the details that were hardest for you to draw.
So, if you struggled with the details in the wings, then you could make them a bit simpler, perhaps limited to a few simple circles. It would depend on what you found to be the most challenging, however.
Don’t be shy about changing the details, as it won’t ruin the drawing. Instead, it will make it more unique, and sometimes simplicity can be preferable.
Using a pencil to actually sketch out the drawing in a much simpler style can also be a great way to get your head around the drawing, and then you can incorporate some finer layers later on.
Finally, you could look up some images of real butterflies, online or perhaps in a book. They don’t have to be identical to the one in the guide, but the more similar the better.
This could help you to get a better idea of the finer details and maybe even add a few new ones!
Step 6 – Finish off your sketch butterfly drawing with color
At the beginning of this sketch butterfly drawing, we mentioned how butterflies are some of the most colorful creatures on the planet.
That means that you have a lot of freedom with how you could color in this beautiful butterfly!
In our example image, we used stunning shades of colors such as orange, yellow and blue for the various sections of the wings.
These colors are a suggestion for some that you could use in your own drawing, but you should also feel free to use any other colors you love!
This is your chance to show off your color creativity, and there are no wrong answers for how you can color your creation. Which colors and art mediums will you choose to finish off this picture?
5 Tips To Make Your Sketch Butterfly Drawing Even Better!
Make this pretty sketch butterfly drawing even better with these handy tips!
Butterflies are known for the beautiful shapes and patterns you can see on their wings. We created a beautiful design for this easy to draw sketch butterfly, but you could also add your own design!
This is something you could really be creative with. The design could look like a real butterfly or you could use a unique one.
What patterns and shapes would you like to use?
Butterflies also come in many different shapes and sizes across their different species. You could change this drawing of a sketch butterfly into any one of these species with ease!
By changing the shape of the wings and body, you could make the butterfly as distinct as you like. You could look up pictures of different species online if you need some inspiration.
The only thing better than one butterfly is two of them, so you could add a friend for this one! This would be easy to do, as now that you have finished the guide you know how to draw one.
You could even create a page filled with butterflies to make this a truly eye-catching picture. How many would you like to add?
No matter how many insects you add to this sketch butterfly drawing, you could also add a background. Butterflies can be found in so many different environments, so you could come up with all sorts of backgrounds!
It could be a garden setting or maybe it could be landing on some flowers. These are a few suggestions, but what other backgrounds can you think of?
We kept this sketch butterfly drawing in black and white to maintain the sketch design, but you could also add some colors! Butterflies are famously colorful, so you would be able to use any colors you love.
If you’re aiming to make the colors nice and bright, then you could use some colored pens or markers. What other color shades and art tools would you like to use?
Your Sketch Butterfly Drawing is Complete!
That brings you to the end of this guide on how to draw a sketch butterfly!
As we mentioned in the intro to this guide, butterflies are a popular subject to depict in art, but many have to quit in frustration as they find it to be too difficult.
In this guide, we wanted to break it down so you cloud eliminate frustration and focus on the fun of creation!
Finishing this guide is just the beginning, however! You can have even more fun as you add your very own details, elements and ideas to the mix.
By taking what you learned in this guide, you could even design your very own unique butterflies! We can’t wait to see what incredible creations you come up with.
There are also many more drawing guides to enjoy on our website! There is something for everyone to enjoy there, and we have many more we will be adding soon.
We always love to see how your drawings turn out, so we hope you will share your finished sketch butterfly drawing on our Facebook and Pinterest pages!
