How to Draw a Dragonfly

The shape of a dragonfly’s body may be a little confusing for an inexperienced artist at first. But here we will show you how to draw a dragonfly and correctly depict its wings, body shape, and legs without getting confused by all these elements. We will also show you how to give this insect drawing volume using a simple technique.

The overall drawing process is quite similar to drawing a butterfly, but the body and wings have noticeably different shapes.

How to draw a dragonfly step by step

Step 1: Sketch the dragonfly’s basic forms

The most complex things begin with the simplest, and the dragonfly drawing tutorial is no exception. First, outline the head, thorax, and long abdomen using very simple geometric shapes. Use very light lines at this stage, since these are only the basic forms of the dragonfly.

Step 2: Outline the legs and wings

The previous step was very simple, and this one will be even easier. Outline the six thin legs and the large wings extending from the thorax of the dragonfly. Draw the legs with short, bent lines beneath the body. Then sketch two pairs of long, narrow wings. Make the wings wider toward their outer ends.

Step 3: Draw the dragonfly’s large eyes

The main outlines of the dragonfly are complete, and starting from this step, draw the details more carefully. Begin with the head, drawing the huge compound eyes and refining its outlines. The eyes occupy most of the dragonfly’s head and have large, convex forms.

Step 4: Refine the insect’s body and legs

Carefully outline the thorax, giving it a more accurate shape, and draw the long abdomen with its characteristic segments. Use short, slightly curved transverse lines and follow the cylindrical form of the abdomen. Then refine the thin, jointed legs with clearer lines. Do not forget to erase all unnecessary construction lines from the dragonfly drawing.

Step 5: Detail the wings and add shadows

First, carefully draw the veins on the wings using long, smooth lines. Begin with the main veins running from the bases toward the tips, then add the smaller branching veins between them. Next, use hatching to draw shadows on the head, thorax, and abdomen. Apply the strokes according to the curved forms of these body parts.

Drawing insects involves many of the same basic principles. The body of an insect can be represented by a simple cylindrical form of varying length.

The legs are separate, simple forms, each divided into several segments. Insects, including flying ones, generally have six legs.

The wings can be imagined as flat, elongated oval shapes. Flies, mosquitoes, and other similar insects can be drawn using the same simple sequence of steps.