Easy Butterfly Drawing: Simple Step-by-Step for Beginners
Want butterfly drawing without the hard parts? This easy version strips the tutorial down to what matters: a thin oval body with two large teardrop wings per side, refined in a few forgiving steps. It's the version we recommend for kids, classrooms, and anyone drawing the butterfly for the first time.
- Difficulty Easy
- Time ~7 min
- Tools Pencil, eraser, paper
- Starts with a thin oval body with two large teardrop wings per side
How to Draw an Easy Butterfly, Step by Step
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Draw the body
A thin vertical oval for the abdomen with a small circle on top for the head. Keep the lines loose — wobbles are fine at this stage.
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Add the upper wings
From the top of the body, draw two large rounded-triangle wings sweeping upward and outward — they should be the biggest shapes in the drawing. Simpler is better here: one confident line beats three careful ones.
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Add the lower wings
Below them, draw two smaller, rounder wings. If it looks off, adjust the big shape rather than adding detail.
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Mirror-check the symmetry
Compare left and right; fix the worse side. A rough version of this step is good enough — keep moving.
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Design the wing patterns
Add a thick border band along the wing edges, then rows of dots and one large spot per wing. Draw this bigger than feels natural; big shapes are easier to control.
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Outline and color
Erase guidelines, thicken the outline, and fill with two or three colors max — monarch orange with black veins is the timeless choice. Done is better than perfect — finish the step and move on.
Want the full detailed version?
The complete Butterfly drawing tutorial covers proportions, texture and shading in depth.
Full Butterfly Drawing Tutorial →Easy Butterfly Drawing Ideas
A baby butterfly next to its parent
Same drawing twice at two sizes with bigger eyes on the little one — instant "aww" with skills you already have.
A geometric low-poly butterfly
Build the butterfly from straight-edged triangles only — a modern design look that secretly teaches structure.
Butterfly face close-up portrait
Crop to just the face and make the eyes the star. Big expressive eyes carry the whole piece.
A cartoon butterfly with a tiny accessory
Round everything, shrink the body, add one hat/bow/scarf. Accessories add personality for nearly zero extra difficulty.
A butterfly in its natural habitat
Add two or three environment elements behind your butterfly — the scene sells the story without needing a full background.
A sleeping butterfly curled up
Sleeping poses tuck away the legs and face details — draw one restful curve and let the pose forgive the anatomy.
Easy Drawing Tips
- Draw big. Beginners instinctively draw tiny, and tiny drawings are actually harder — small curves demand more finger control than big arm strokes. Fill at least half the page.
- Trace your own drawing once. Tracing something you already drew builds muscle memory twice as fast as starting over.
- Finish it even if it looks wrong at step 3. Every finished easy drawing teaches the whole sequence; abandoned perfect starts teach nothing.
FAQ
What is the easiest way to draw a butterfly?
Start with a thin oval body with two large teardrop wings per side and keep every line light until the shape looks right — that's the entire method above. Most beginners get a recognizable butterfly drawing on the first try because each step is one simple move.
Can kids follow this butterfly drawing tutorial?
Yes — this version was written for young artists: big forgiving shapes, no shading, no fine details. Ages 5-6 and up can usually follow along with a little help reading the steps.
How long does the easy version take?
About five minutes for the basic drawing — roughly half the time of the full tutorial. Adding color takes another few minutes.
