Let’s dive into how to draw a butterfly with our simple guide.

Butterflies are super fun to draw because their wings are full of brilliant colors.

In this guide, I’ll show you an easy way to draw a butterfly that looks real. Grab a fine black marker to outline everything neatly.

Then, bring the wings to life with colorful markers or pencils.

yellow and red cartoon butterfly drawing

We’ve designed this guide to be super easy to follow.

By breaking down the butterfly into basic shapes, drawing this beautiful bug becomes a piece of cake.

black and white line drawing fof a butterfly with lines pointing to a colored in butterlfy

Did you know there are over 20,000 different kinds of butterflies? That’s a lot of butterflies!

You can find more cool butterfly facts at the end of this post.

If you love drawing, check out our other fun tutorials on how to draw a grasshopper, wasp, bumblebee, and ant.

Plus, don’t miss our awesome guide for drawing a majestic owl.

Drawing Supplies You’ll Need

Pencil
Eraser
Sheet of paper
Pencil sharpener

A white eraser is great because it won’t leave behind any marks, but pink ones work too if that’s all you have.

Also, it’s a good idea to have some extra paper just in case you want to start your drawing over.

Draw A Butterfly: Step By Step Tutorial

each step of butterfly drawing marked by dotted lines for each drawing stage

Step 1. Draw The Butterfly Head

dotted line of circle for butterfly head

Start by drawing a small circle for the head. That’s the first step!

Step 2. Create The Eyes

two circles dotted marking position of the eyes

Next, draw two circles for the eyes—one on the left side of the head and a slightly smaller one on the right.

Step 3. Draw The Mouth And Pupils

Add a curved line for the mouth below the head circle.

Then, draw smaller circles inside the eyes for the pupils and a tiny v-shape for that particular eye detail.

Step 4. Make The Thorax

Just below the head, draw an oval for the thorax, the top part of the butterfly’s body.

Step 5. Draw The Abdomen

Below the thorax, draw a teardrop shape for the abdomen, the bottom part of the body.

Step 6. Create The Top Section Of The Wings

Draw a big circle starting at the bottom of the body for each upper wing.

Extend the line upward and connect it back to the body for a nice wing shape.

Step 7. Draw The Lower Section

dotted lower wing lines positioned at body of butterfly

For the lower wings, make an oval shape in the opposite direction of the upper wings, starting from the middle of the abdomen and going up to the thorax.

Step 8. Sketch The Legs

the legs are dotted and positioned at the body

Butterflies have three pairs of legs. Draw them as curved lines from the butterfly’s body, with a small circle at the end of each leg.

Step 9. Draw The Antennae And Feet

butterfly partially drawn with dotted lines showing antennae and feet positions

Draw two curved lines for the antennae from the top of the head, ending in a curl.

The feet are just little circles at the end of the legs.

Step 10. Add Detail To The Wings

butterfly partially drawn with dotted circles inside wings

Finally, add two circles on each upper wing for extra detail.

Now, you’re ready to create your own colorful butterfly.

Remember, drawing is all about having fun and practicing, so if your first butterfly isn’t perfect, just try again!

Fun Facts About Butterflies

You can tell male and female Monarch butterflies apart by the wing pattern. Males have two dark spots on their hind wings, but females don’t.
The most common butterfly in the USA is the Cabbage White, named for its white color with hints of yellow and green, just like the veggie!

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