Dragonflies have been around the world for 300 million years, and have been the subject of paintings and art in different eras. Their colorful bodies and magical ways of flying, flitting up and down or hovering in the sky, make them magical insects.
Due to this fact, Albrecht Durer used these delicate insects in his work. After that, they were used in jewelry and paintings between 1890 and 1910. Since then, they have been used in art as a symbol of transformation, maturity, changing one self, self-realization, and understanding the deeper meaning of life.
That’s why, it is crucial to learn how to draw a dragonfly if you want to become an artist. In this drawing guide, I am going to teach you the dragonfly drawing in simple 8 steps. You don’t have to do anything complex as this drawing includes simple shapes and lines.
How to Draw a Dragonfly Step by Step
Materials:
- a piece of paper
- a pencil for the guiding lines and sketching
- an eraser
- a black sharpie or a pen for the outlines
- markers or colored pencils for coloring
- our printable drawing guide (Join my Email List below to get this Tutorial)
Here are my RECOMMENDED Art Supplies!
- Crayola Coloring Set (140 Pieces – Mega Value!)
- 24 Colored Crayon Set
- A4 Printer Paper
- Crayola Coloring Pencils
- HP Home Printer with Instant Ink!
Time needed:
15 minutes.
How to Draw a Dragonfly — Let’s get started!
Step 1 – Sketch the Head of the Dragonfly
First of all, sketch a clean circle shape on the left of the page. It should be small in size and must be a bit flat toward the right side. This circle represents the cute face of your dragonfly.
Step 2 – Sketch the Neck of the Dragonfly
Insects have three body parts: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. But, the dragonfly also has a neck that joins the head with the thorax. In this step, we are going to focus on this body part.
For drawing this, you should draw a half-oval shape beneath the head. Its starting and ending points should connect with the head’s top and bottom.
Step 3 – Add the Thorax of the Dragonfly
Beneath the neck, sketch the thorax. It is two times larger than the head but is not much bulky. To draw it, sketch a bean-like shape attached to the neck.
The top of this shape must be facing the upward direction, and the lower part should be flat.
You should make sure its shape is large as you have to attach six legs and wings to it.
Step 4 – Create the Abdomen of the Dragonfly
Dragonfly has the most elegant abdomen in the insect community. It is the elongated shape present in the form of the tail.
To sketch it, you should draw a slightly rounded and elongated shape at the bottom of the thorax, as shown in our picture. Make sure it tapers at the end and is thin in shape.
At this point, the body of the dragonfly should be prominent on your paper.
Step 5 – Add the Wings
Dragonflies have two wings, one on each side of it. In this step, we have to sketch them on the tip of the thorax.
To draw it, you have to sketch a teardrop shape, pointed at the tip, and curving slightly upward. Your first pair is ready, and now it is time to add the second one.
For sketching it, you should add a thin outline of the second wing, beneath the top one.
Step 6 – Refine the Wings
Dragonflies are famous for their clear, beautiful membranous wings. In this step, we need to refine them to have a realistic dragonfly drawing.
For this, add a thin outline above the top wing to give it some depth. Make sure it follows the shape of the wing.
After that, add some thin, curved lines at a decent distance on the wings. These lines should stretch from the base to the edges, following the natural shape of the wings.
At this point, you must be seeing membranous wings in front of you.
Step 7 – Add Details to the Abdomen
Dragonflies have segmented abdomens that appear to have bands on them. This gives a really cool appearance to this insect.
To have this appearance, you need to sketch thin curved lines on the abdomen, following its natural shape. Just like wing membranes, these lines should also be evenly spaced, thin, and neat.
Step 8 – Sketch Six Legs Attached to the Thorax
Dragonfly has six legs; three on each side of the body. You should sketch them on the thorax in a neat look.
The legs should be pointing downward and in the outward direction. It must be in the “L” shape, with one or two joints.
That’s it! Your cute dragonfly drawing for kids is complete. However, there is one aspect that is crucial to enhancing the aesthetic value of the dragonfly drawing- colors.
Step 9 – Coloring of Dragonfly Pencil Sketch Drawing
Add a magical touch to your pencil sketch by throwing vibrant colors on the body of this insect. No matter if you love dark colors or light ones, dragonfly is available in all sorts of colors.
It keeps changing its color throughout the year, depending on the temperature. In the spring and autumn, you will see dark dragonflies flying in the parks and over the flowers. In the summers, they are replaced by the light-color dragonfly.
Moreover, there are 7000 species of dragonflies around the world. These species have unique colors and shapes. So, you will find a variety of colors in the body of the dragonfly. A lot of the species have multi-color bodies, so you have to carefully color them to give a realistic look to your drawing.
Pin it now, Draw later!
Some famous colors in different species are:
- Transparent wings with blue, green, or purple body.
- Golden brown color even on the wings.
- Red color on the thorax and abdomen with clear wings and yellow legs.
- Black body with yellow bands on the abdomen and bright green eyes.
- Yellow, red, brown, and black on the whole body.
- Different shades of purple on the body.
You can visit the park or ground to observe some real-life dragonflies before sketching or coloring them. Otherwise, books and the internet are full of pictures. You can take any from them to get inspiration for the poses, background, and colors of the dragonfly.
If you love this tutorial, you are going to love our other ones too. So, do check them on our blog.
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