How to Draw a Butterfly
Symmetry is the whole game in a butterfly drawing. The two big upper wings go down first, meeting in the middle like a bow, and they need to sit at the same height or the butterfly tilts. The round lower wings hang underneath, smaller than the top pair.
Body, antennae and spots
In step three a long, thin oval body and a round head cover the place where all four wings join, and step four adds two antennae, each ending in a small curl. Steps five and six are the spots: two circles on each upper wing, then two on each lower wing. Putting them on one wing and copying them across the body keeps both sides matching. Two eyes and a smile come last.
The sheet and who it suits
Seven of the nine boxes are numbered steps with the new lines in orange, the eighth shows the finished butterfly and the ninth is a dashed frame left for your child. Page two has a small copy beside the seven steps and one large drawing box. It is aimed at ages 6 to 8, and because it is all ovals, circles and simple curves, it works for children who are new to drawing. Copying spots from a small box is harder once the printer scales the page down, so send the A4 or US Letter PDF at 100 percent.
Draw a butterfly in 7 steps
New lines in each step are orange. Where a new part covers an earlier line, that bit turns dashed gray: rub it out.
Draw two big upper wings.
Add two round lower wings underneath.
Draw a long oval body and a round head.
Add two curly antennae on top.
Put two spots on each upper wing.
Put two spots on each lower wing.
Give it two eyes and a happy smile.
Tips to make your butterfly drawing easy
- Draw both upper wings at the same height so the butterfly does not tilt.
- Keep the lower wings smaller and rounder than the upper ones.
- Sketch the body as a long, thin oval over the place where all four wings meet.
- Finish each antenna with a small curl at the tip.
- Draw the spots on one wing, then copy them on the matching wing across the body.
- Pause the animation after each step if your child needs more time.
Butterfly outline to print and trace
Print the finished outline on its own: trace over it with a pencil to learn the shapes, or use the dashed tracing sheet for younger kids who are still building pencil control. Both fit A4 and US Letter.
Color your butterfly
Finished drawing? Print one of our 2 butterfly coloring pages to color the same character in 2 difficulty levels, or color your own drawing with the step sheet beside you.
More butterfly activities
Frequently asked questions
Why are the spots split across two steps?
Step 5 puts two circles on each upper wing and step 6 puts two on each lower wing, so a child finishes one pair of wings before starting the next. The eyes and a smile come last, in step 7.
Does the drawing show all four wings?
Yes. The two upper wings go down first and meet in the middle, then two smaller, rounder lower wings hang underneath. A real butterfly has four wings too, two forewings and two hindwings.
How do we keep both sides the same?
Draw the two upper wings at the same height, then put the spots on one wing and copy them onto the matching wing across the body. Every spot should have a twin.
Is there anything to help before drawing freehand?
Yes. This page has an animation of about 16 seconds that draws the butterfly in order, and a dashed outline of the whole butterfly to trace first.
About this printable
- Made with AI assistance (vector drawing authored by a language model) and checked by automated tests and an AI reviewer.
- Checked by automated tests and an AI reviewer on 22 Oct 2026.
- Free for personal and single-classroom use. See the license. Read the license · How these are made · Report a problem.
- Vector PDF, 2 pages, 186×254 mm art box — prints edge-safe on A4 and US Letter.
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