Step 6: Darken the rest of the initial oval to finish the painted lady butterfly's thorax. Use short strokes as you darken the shape for a furry texture. Darken the bottom section too to complete the abdomen. Inside the abdomen, draw a series of horizontal lines that are made up of short strokes to create segments.

Step 7: Darken the shapes on the sides of the body to create the butterfly's wings. As you darken the shapes,make the corners rounder and the sides curvier. Use wavy lines on the outer edges of each wing for a more organic feel.

Step 8: Now add the distinctive painted lady butterfly pattern inside the wings. Draw a wavy line across the forewings for the color separation. Then draw circular shapes on either side of the line for spots. Draw a couple rows of spots along the bottom edge of each hindwing. Don't draw the spots too round; use irregular shapes. Also don't draw them too close to the body.

Step 9: Draw a series of short strokes across the wings for more of the color separation. Keep these lines away from the body. Draw a few diagonal lines for veins on the butterfly's wings. Draw the lines so that they radiate outward from the middle. Don't overlap the previous shapes as you draw the veins.

Step 10: Go over the final lines with a pen, marker or any other type of permanent ink. Take your time and be careful when you ink to avoid any accidents. Don't ink the initial guide lines, only the final drawing. After inking, get rid of every pencil mark with an eraser for a cleaner drawing of a painted lady butterfly.

Final Step: Now color your butterfly drawing! Use different shades of brown like light brown, dark brown and even a bit of orange and red to color the body and the inner section of the wings. Add the colors lightly at first and gradually blend them together as you color darker and push down harder on your pencils. For a simpler drawing, use a single brown color instead of blending different shades together. Add shades of yellow and orange on the main sections of the wings. Use black for the outer edges of the wings and the spots. Leave a few more areas along the edges of the hindwings blank to create more spots. It's a good idea to use reference as you color for a more accurate depiction of a painted lady butterfly.

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