How to Draw a Butterfly Step By Step

Learn how to draw a butterfly in 10 easy steps.

Butterflies are popular subjects to draw in part because of the beautiful colors in their wings. 

This tutorial will teach you the best way to draw an easy butterfly.

Use fine black markers for a great way to connect the necessary points. Then, add a different color to the wings with a bright marker or colored pencil to make a realistic butterfly.

We have made this a simple tutorial to follow. Each step breaks down the parts of a butterfly into simple shapes. This makes drawing this gorgeous insect an easy process.

There are so many interesting facts about butterflies. But the one that surprised me the most was that there are over 20,000 butterfly species! Did you know there were that many?

For more fun facts, check out the bottom of the post.

Here are some other fun drawing tutorials for you, a grasshopper, a wasp, a bumblebee and an ant!

And you should also check out this awesome tutorial for drawing a cute owl!

Materials for Learning How to Draw a Butterfly

• Pencil
• Eraser
• Sheet of paper
• Pencil sharpener

Keep a white eraser close by. The white ones are a helpful tool to have when learning to draw because they don’t leave red streaks as pink erasers do.

But in a pinch, both white and pink erasers work!

It also helps to keep additional pieces of paper on hand in the event you want to start your drawing over.

Draw A Butterfly Step By Step Tutorial

Step 1. Draw The Butterfly Head

The first step is to draw the head of the butterfly. Then, all you need to do is draw a small circle. Easy, right?  

Step 2. Create The Eyes

The next step is to draw circles to create a large eye shape.

Draw the first circle on the left side of the head, then draw another circle on the right side of the head that is just a little bit smaller.

Step 3. Draw The Butterfly’s Mouth And Pupils

Add a curved line to the bottom of the circle to create the butterfly’s mouth.

Then add two smaller circles inside the eyes to form the pupils. Make a little v-shape on the upper right side to get that neat little eye detail.

Step 4. Make The Thorax

To draw the top of the body of a butterfly, which is called the thorax, you want to create an oval shape.

Draw this right below the center of the head.

Step 5. Draw The Abdomen

To create the butterfly’s abdomen, draw a teardrop shape for the bottom of the body.

This is drawn right below the top of the body that was shown in the previous step. 

Step 6. Create The Top Section Of The Butterfly Wings

Start by drawing a pair of upper wings on each side of the butterfly body.

An easy way to draw the wing is to make a ¾” circle starting at the bottom part of the body.

Then, extend the line upward and stop across from the eyes. Next, connect the wing by drawing a line from the top part of the wing to the bottom of the head.

Repeat for the second wing. This will give a nice point to the wing shape.

Step 7. Draw The Lower Section

Now you can create the lower wings with an oval shape in the opposite direction of the upper wings.

Start by drawing a curved line from the left side of the middle of the abdomen.

Continue around and up to the middle of the thorax. Repeat the same process on the right side.  

Step 8. Create The Butterfly’s Legs

A butterfly has 3 pairs of legs. To create the front legs, draw curves extending from the top of the butterfly’s abdomen on each side of the butterfly.

The curves should be drawn facing up towards the eyes. Next, draw a second pair of curved lines below those for the middle legs.

Now you want to add the hind legs with a pair of curved lines facing down opposite the front legs.

Finally, complete the legs by adding a small circle to each of the 3 pairs of legs. 

Step 9. Draw The Antennae And Feet

To draw the antennae, draw two curved lines from the top middle of the butterfly’s head, ending with a curled shape above each eye. 

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

Step 10. Add Detail To The Butterfly’s Wing

The last step is to add two circles to the upper wings. First, create a larger circle on each side of the top of the wing.

Then add a smaller circle in the middle of the upper wing and the bottom of the butterfly’s wing.

Fun Facts About Butterflies

• The way to tell if a Monarch butterfly is a male or female is to look at the butterfly wing design.
• The male will have two dark spots on the hind wings. The female does not have those.
• The most common type of butterfly in the United States is a Cabbage White. It is named for its white color with hints of yellow and green – just like the vegetable! 

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