Colored pencil drawings of butterflies do not need to become perfectly symmetrical, polished illustrations. I prefer to fill a sketchbook page with several smaller studies, allowing each butterfly to explore a different view, pattern or color relationship.
For this tutorial, I will draw an open-wing butterfly, a side view resting on a flower and a close study of one wing. Together, these drawings provide a practical introduction to proportion, layered color and wing texture without relying on geometric construction.
Colored pencil is particularly useful for this kind of sketchbook work because lines can remain visible beneath later layers. If an edge changes as I observe it, I add another line in a related color. The earlier mark remains as a thought line rather than something that must be erased.
Choose three references with different information
Use photographs or real butterfly specimens when available. Drawing a living butterfly from direct observation is possible, but it will rarely remain still for long. I make quick notes from life, then use photographs when I want to study the pattern more carefully.
For the open-wing drawing, choose a butterfly photographed from above. The wings should be visible without overlapping too much, but avoid a specimen that looks completely flattened.
For the side view, find a butterfly resting on a flower, leaf or branch. Look for a clear silhouette and enough separation between the wings and background.
The final reference only needs to show a section of one wing at a larger scale. This is where you can study color transitions and surface pattern without worrying about the entire animal.
Choose a specific species for each drawing. A monarch, swallowtail and blue morpho have different wing proportions as well as different colors. Drawing from a named reference will give you more useful information than inventing a generic butterfly pattern.
My guide to finding an animal drawing reference explains how I choose photographs that are clear without being overly simplified.
Begin the open-wing butterfly with its darkest pattern
Most butterfly tutorials begin by constructing one wing and copying it onto the other side. I find it more interesting to begin with the darkest visible pattern.
Look across both wings and identify one strong marking. It might sit near the body, run along the outer edge or divide two areas of color.
Place that mark on one wing. Then look across the body and find the related mark on the opposite side.
Do not assume they are exact mirror images. The butterfly may be turning, one wing may tilt away or the photograph may contain a small amount of perspective. Draw the difference rather than correcting it.
Continue adding a few dark landmarks across both sides. These will gradually reveal the direction and approximate width of the wings without requiring an initial outline.
Once the main markings are present, connect them through selected sections of the wing edges. Allow some edges to remain open. Colored pencil can describe a pale wing against white paper through adjacent color rather than through a dark continuous contour.
Allow the wing shape to emerge from the pattern
Now compare the outside edge with the markings you have already drawn.
A butterfly’s forewing and hindwing often have noticeably different contours. The forewing may extend farther and change direction near its tip. The hindwing may be rounder, scalloped or end in a narrow tail depending on the species.
Follow one section of the outer edge at a time. Do not reduce the complete wing to a smooth teardrop.
If the edge does not meet your earlier pattern correctly, place another colored line. Choose a hue that already appears in the butterfly rather than switching to graphite. This keeps the correction integrated with the drawing.
The body can now be placed between the wings. Observe its length, width and direction, but keep it quieter than the patterns surrounding it. The antennae can wait until the major color areas have been established.
Build color without filling each section once
A butterfly wing can contain intense color, but that does not mean you should press firmly with one pencil until the paper is covered.
Begin with directional strokes that follow the wing. Allow some paper to remain visible between the marks.
Place a second color over the first. This might be a related hue, a warmer version of the same color or a darker pencil used to shift the value.
A blue wing may contain violet, green, grey or even warm reflected color. An orange wing may become deeper through red, brown or violet rather than through black alone.
Let several pencils contribute to each larger area. The small variations created by overlapping strokes will keep the surface from looking mechanically filled.
Reserve your firmest pressure for selected areas near the end. Deepen the darkest pattern, strengthen a saturated color or compress several layers where the wing needs a smoother finish.
You can leave other areas more open and visibly drawn. The contrast between dense and unfinished color gives the study energy.
If you are new to layering, my guide to using colored pencils explains pressure, blending and color buildup in more detail.
Draw the side view as an overlap
Move to another part of the sketchbook page and begin the side-view butterfly.
Start where the wings overlap. This may appear as a dark edge, a change in color or a narrow shape between two larger surfaces.
Follow the nearest wing outward from this crossing. Then return to the overlap and find the visible section of the far wing.
Drawing the overlap first makes the view easier to understand. You are not trying to convert a symmetrical butterfly into a side view. You are observing two thin surfaces seen at different angles.
The body may sit beneath the wings and lean toward the flower. Draw its visible edge, then place the head and antennae according to that direction.
The legs can be difficult to follow because they cross the plant and disappear beneath the body. Draw only the sections you can see clearly. A few angular lines connecting the butterfly to the flower will communicate more than six invented legs arranged around it.
Keep the flower secondary. A patch of color and several broken contours can provide enough context without turning the study into a botanical illustration.
Use the side view to explore softer color
The side of a folded wing may contain less dramatic color than the upper surface. This does not make it less interesting.
Look for warm and cool changes within the neutral areas. A grey-brown wing may include muted violet, ochre, blue or green.
Layer these colors without blending them into one uniform brown. Allow individual marks to remain visible.
Near the edge, the wing may become darker or more patterned. Toward the centre, the color may soften. Follow the reference rather than applying the same density everywhere.
The background can help describe pale sections. Add a small amount of leaf, flower or sky color beside the wing and allow part of the contour to disappear.
Make the final drawing a wing fragment
For the third study, enlarge one section of a butterfly wing until it nearly becomes an abstract drawing.
Do not try to fit the whole butterfly into the remaining space. Crop the wing deliberately.
Begin with one major division in the pattern and let it travel across the page. Add neighbouring areas according to their width, direction and relationship.
At this scale, you may notice that a supposedly solid area contains specks, changes in hue and rows of tiny marks. Do not copy every one.
Choose the surface changes that contribute to the larger rhythm. Cluster detail in one area and leave another more open.
This study is a good place to test combinations before using them in a larger drawing. Layer yellow beneath orange, place violet over blue or compare a dark brown with black. Make small color notes beside the wing if you want to remember which pencils were used.
Allow the pattern to leave the page. The cropped composition will feel intentional and distinguish this study from the two complete butterflies.
Keep the wing texture directional
Butterfly patterns may appear flat in a photograph, but the wings still have direction and surface.
Let your pencil strokes travel outward from the body or along the visible divisions in the wing. Avoid scribbling in unrelated directions simply to fill the paper.
At the outer edge, shorten the marks or allow them to break apart. This can suggest a delicate surface without outlining every small scallop.
Within dark areas, use closely grouped lines and layers of related color. Within paler areas, allow more of the paper to remain visible.
White pencil can soften or unite layers, particularly on toned paper, but it can also reduce color intensity. Use it selectively rather than blending every section.
A colorless blender is optional. You can create rich transitions through overlapping pencils and changing pressure without making the entire drawing smooth.
Add the smallest lines last
Return to the two complete butterflies and add the antennae after the wings and bodies are established.
Follow each antenna with your eyes, then draw it in one confident movement. If the line misses, add another. The pair does not need to match perfectly.
Use the same direct approach for visible legs and fine divisions within the wings. These small marks should sit over the broader color instead of becoming buried beneath it.
Strengthen a few dark accents around the body, wing overlap or outer pattern. Leave other areas unresolved.
The finished page should feel like a collection of observations rather than three isolated coloring exercises. Repeated colors, open paper and visible thought lines can connect the studies even when the butterflies come from different species.
Making several colored pencil drawings of butterflies on one page gives you more freedom than placing all your attention on one perfect image. You can compare open and folded wings, test colors and learn how pattern changes with perspective.
For more subjects to add to the same sketchbook, explore my collection of insect drawing tutorials.