This is a step-by-step guide on how to draw a butterfly. Twelve simple lessons will teach you how to draw this beautiful insect. And at the end we will tell you how to draw a butterfly without drawing skills. Even a child can do it!
Table of Contents
How to Draw a Butterfly Step-by-Step

A simple guide to drawing a butterfly in 12 steps
Total Time: 15 minutes
Step 1 – How to Draw a Butterfly

Use a simple pencil to trace elongated thin body of butterfly. Draw rounded lines up sides of upper body and continue up to middle of body to make oblong wings. Underneath m complete little lower semicircular wings.
Draw two small round eyes in place of head with a black pencil. Draw outline of body, narrowing it just above middle. Paint over bottom black.
Step 2 – How to Draw a Butterfly

In upper element of body, under head, draw a short horizontal line. Same black pencil trace around upper and lower wings. Draw above eyes curved antennae with bold dots on ends.
Step 3 – How to Draw a Butterfly

Make lines thicker at base of upper wing on right and in lower corners of both upper wings. Inside from middle of upper body release to sides of small smooth lines.
Blue pencil, not going beyond se lines, partially fill in upper wings, so that at base y were darker. Barely pressing down on pencil, form same color on lower wings next to body of butterfly.
Step 4 – How to Draw a Butterfly

Continue coloring all wings with a turquoise or light blue pencil until about middle of wings. To ensure a smooth color transition, slightly overlap previous shade and do not apply strong pressure.
Step 5 – How to Draw a Butterfly

With a red pencil, with only a little pressure, paint over a little more of top wing on left. At top of it on right, grab more space in design than at bottom. You can see details in photo. Add red to lower wings as well, but don’t paint over m completely
Step 6

Erase top corner of top wing on right and add a line in maroon pencil in place of previous line. Use same color to paint over wing, a little short of edge. Add a burgundy layer on wing on left, leaving more space on edge than on element on or side. In upper parts, make color more intense.
Completely paint bottom wings in burgundy pencil, pressing down harder at torso.
Step 7

Darken corner of upper left wing with purple. Pressing burgundy pencil, circle left edge of this wing, draw a few circles at top and paint rest of space. On right wing symmetrically add same circles and tint unpainted edge, overlapping previous color.
Make a bolder burgundy layer on lower wings. Circle this pencil around lower edge of wing on right.
Step 8

With a blue pencil, go over again at base of upper wings, as well as along burgundy in middle of torso on lower wings.
Purple, paint top corner and whole edge of large wing on left, with smooth lines over previous shade. Similarly, touch up wing on right. Detailed process is shown in video below. The same pencil tint side corners of lower wings.
Step 9

Make a more pronounced red layer at top of large wings. Add this color along bottom edge of small wings.
Step 10

Draw base of upper wings next to head with a black pencil. Continue lines just below, making m curved. Connect m with short slanting lines with edges of wings. Add from corners of resulting figures one more line on side, drawing m to purple.
Step 11

From beginning of figures drawn in previous step, draw horizontal, smooth lines to edges of wings. Darken black corners between m.
Highlight bottom edges of large wings. Where y touch small, make lines thick. Draw same black pencil around edges of lower wings.
Step 12

Mark upper tips and lateral edges of large wings with black circles. At bottom, above horizontal lines, add several oblique strokes.
Along bottom edge of small wings, draw a few horizontal strokes. Add black dots on bottom. Highlight burgundy layer on all four wings.
At end, draw thin black veins on all wings and tint places on sides of lower part of calf. Use gray and lilac pencils to add shadow of butterfly.
Supply:
- paper, pencil, colored pencils, eraser
Tools:
- paper, pencil, colored pencils, eraser
How to draw a butterfly – a very simple way
- Fold the sheet in half. Draw only half of the butterfly on the paper.
- Paint the wings with any colors, but with a very thick layer of watercolor or gouache.
- Fold the sheet along the fold line and touch up layer to layer. Unfold the sheet. You get a whole butterfly.
- Trim the wings. Doris spots, body and antennae.
- The butterfly is ready to fly!
Share drawings of butterflies in the comments.