Monarch Butterfly Drawing: Step-by-Step Tutorial & Easy Ideas

If you can draw a circle for the head and an oval for the body, you can draw a monarch butterfly. That's genuinely the whole secret — the rest is knowing which lines to add in which order, and this tutorial shows you exactly that, step by step, before serving up a full list of monarch butterfly drawing ideas to practice with.

  • Difficulty Easy
  • Time ~15 min
  • Tools Pencil, eraser, paper
  • Starts with a circle for the head and an oval for the body
Monarch Butterfly drawing — hand-drawn monarch butterfly illustration with ink lines and soft colors
Monarch Butterfly drawing — hand-drawn monarch butterfly illustration with ink lines and soft colors

How to Draw a Monarch Butterfly Step by Step

How to draw a monarch butterfly step by step — 9-step monarch butterfly drawing tutorial sheet

Step 1 of 9

Head and body guides

Draw a small light circle for the head at the top middle of the page, then a long oval below it for the body.

See the full sheet
How to draw a monarch butterfly step by step — 9-step monarch butterfly drawing tutorial sheet
How to draw a monarch butterfly step by step — 9-step monarch butterfly drawing tutorial sheet

  1. Head and body guides

    Draw a small light circle for the head at the top middle of the page, then a long oval below it for the body.

  2. Head and body

    Trace the head circle and body oval as solid outlines.

  3. Antennae and eyes

    Add two curved antennae from the top of the head and two tiny dot eyes below them.

  4. Upper wings

    Draw a large rounded wing reaching out from each side of the body near the top, pointed at the outer tip.

  5. Lower wings

    Below each upper wing, draw a smaller rounded wing that also attaches to the body.

  6. Wing veins

    Add several thin branching lines running from the body outward across each wing on both sides.

  7. Border, spots, legs

    Trace a thick band just inside every wing edge, add rows of small round spots inside it, and six thin legs on the body.

  8. Ink the lines

    Go over every kept line with dark ink, then erase the light head circle and body oval guides.

  9. Color the butterfly

    Fill the wings orange, the border and veins black, the spots white, and the body black.

Monarch Butterfly Drawing Ideas to Try Next

Once the basic monarch butterfly clicks, run it through these variations — each one practices a different skill while staying on a subject you already know.

  • A monarch butterfly in its natural habitat

    Add two or three environment elements behind your monarch butterfly — the scene sells the story without needing a full background.

  • A baby monarch 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 cartoon monarch butterfly with a tiny accessory

    Round everything, shrink the body, add one hat/bow/scarf. Accessories add personality for nearly zero extra difficulty.

  • A monarch butterfly peeking around a corner

    Half the animal hides behind an edge — you draw the easy half and the composition feels playful.

  • Continuous one-line monarch butterfly

    Draw the whole monarch butterfly without lifting your pen. Great warm-up, and the wobbles are the style.

  • A sleeping monarch butterfly curled up

    Sleeping poses tuck away the legs and face details — draw one restful curve and let the pose forgive the anatomy.

  • A geometric low-poly monarch butterfly

    Build the monarch butterfly from straight-edged triangles only — a modern design look that secretly teaches structure.

  • Monarch Butterfly face close-up portrait

    Crop to just the face and make the eyes the star. Big expressive eyes carry the whole piece.

Tips for Better Monarch Butterfly Drawings

  • Draw the gesture line first — one curve through the spine from nose to tail. Animals drawn from the spine out always feel alive; animals drawn from the outline in always feel stuffed.
  • Eyes make or break animal drawings: place them carefully, keep them symmetrical, and always leave a white highlight dot. A perfect body with dead eyes still fails; a wobbly body with living eyes still charms.

Not feeling the monarch butterfly today?

Let the generator pick your next subject — filtered by mood and difficulty.

🎲 Random Drawing Generator

Monarch Butterfly Drawing FAQ

How do you draw a monarch butterfly easily?

Start with a circle for the head and an oval for the body, keeping your lines light. Refine the outline, add the defining details, then erase the construction shapes. The nine-step method above breaks this down — most people get a recognizable monarch butterfly on their very first try with it.

How long should it take to draw a monarch butterfly?

A simple monarch butterfly drawing takes about 15 minutes following this tutorial. A quick doodle version can be done in two or three minutes, while a detailed, fully-shaded study might take an hour. Speed comes with repetition — the second attempt is always faster than the first.

What do I need to draw a monarch butterfly?

Just a pencil, an eraser, and any paper. An HB pencil for construction lines and a 2B for final outlines is a nice upgrade, and colored pencils or markers finish it off — but nothing on this page requires special supplies.

Is a monarch butterfly easy to draw for beginners?

Yes — the monarch butterfly is one of the friendlier subjects for beginners, and this method was written for first-timers. Kids can follow the same steps; just expect wobblier lines and more charm.