In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Painted Lady Butterfly step-by-step.

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All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

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To draw this Painted Lady Butterfly step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

Below you can watch a Narrated step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake.

Step 1: Start by drawing an oval as a guide for the top part of the painted lady butterfly's body also called the thorax. To draw the oval, first make four marks to determine its height and width and then connect the marks using curved lines. Sketch lightly at first so that it's easy to erase if you make a mistake. Under the oval draw a thin, curved shape for the lower section of the body called the abdomen. This section should be similar to a long letter U.

Step 2: On the top part of the thorax, on either side, draw a long, curved horizontal line as guides for the top part of the butterfly's forewings. Pay attention to the lengths of the lines in relation to the body.

Step 3: Under each long line, draw an angled line as guides for the bottom edges of the butterfly's forewings. The bottom tip of each angled line should be directly below the middle of the top curved line. Each of these lines should be similar to a giant letter V. Draw these lines so that each side is similar to each other but it's okay if they're not perfectly symmetrical.

Step 4: Under each forewing, draw a curved line as guides for the bottom edges of the painted lady butterfly's hindwings. The inner edges of these lines should be vertical and they should end at the abdomen.

That's it for the guidelines! From this point on, press down harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing.

Step 5: On top of the first oval, draw a short, curved line for the top part of the butterfly's head. On either side of this line, draw a shorter line for the eyes. Inside the oval draw the back of the head using short strokes to create a furry texture. On top of the head, draw two angled lines for the feelers called palps. Behind the eyes, draw two long diagonal lines for the antennae.

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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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