how to draw animals_ butterflies, their anatomy and wing patterns - tuts+ design & illustration...

by Monika Zagrobelna 29 Nov 2013 4 Comments

Are you a student? Get a yearly Tuts+ subscription for $45 →

This post is part of a series called How to Draw Animals.

How to Draw Animals: Big Cats, Their Anatomy and Patterns - Part 2

How to Draw Animals: Deer - Species and Anatomy

7 2 5

How to Draw Animals: Butterflies, Their Anatomy and Wing Patterns ... http://design.tutsplus.com/articles/how-to-draw-animals-butterflies-thei...

1 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Even people who don't really like insects are fascinated by the beauty of

their wings. In this tutorial I will show you how to draw wings of the most

distinctive species and how to design your own wings following universal

butterfly rules. Good news is realistic butterflies can be drawn even by total

beginners! Sounds interesting? Let's get started then!

1. Draw a Butterfly Body

Step 1To draw butterfly wings first we need a body to attach them. You can draw

it very figuratively, or spend a few more minutes on it for a more realistic

effect. If it's a winged fantasy creature you want to draw, you can skip this

step.

Here's what you need to know about a butterfly anatomy:

Wings are attached to the thorax and they overlap each other when

folded - the hindwing is on top then;

The thorax is covered with soft fur ;

The abdomen is longer than the thorax and visibly segmented . It can

also be covered with fur;

Every butterfly has three pairs of legs , but the first pair is always

shorter - sometimes it's so short that almost unnoticeable (so there's

no need to draw it);

The most important sensors on a butterfly's head are antennae and

palpi . Palpi look like short antennae, except they're heavily covered

with fur;

The eye of a butterfly is big, oval and compound;

A butterfly doesn't have jaws, only a direct "drinking straw" -

proboscis - that can be coiled up and extended when needed;

Whole body can be colored and spotted to fit the wings.


2 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 2To draw a butterfly body from an aerial view:

Draw three oval overlapping each other: one small, one big and

round, one long and narrow;

Divide the smallest oval into halves and add the ovals for eyes;

Add the antennae and palpi at the top of the head;

Divide the abdomen into segments;

Cover the thorax with fur.


3 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

2. Butterfly Wing Anatomy

Butterfly wings can be very different, small or big, wide or narrow, colorful

or transparent, round or ragged. However, there are features common to all

kinds of butterflies.

Step 1The forewings can be equal or bigger than hindwings - never smaller.


4 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 2If the hindwings are kept close to the abdomen, they may need to be bent

when wings are expanded.

Step 3Usually front (top) side of the wings are the most colorful, while the back

(bottom) one are less distinctive. It helps the butterfly blend into the

environment when in danger.


5 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 4When it comes to the structure of the wings, it's the same for all butterflies.

Butterfly wings are basically triangular, with three margins that round their

shape - costal, outer and inner one. The forewings have also an apex that

makes them longer.

3. Draw Butterfly Wings

Step 1Start with four triangles attached to the body. They can be any size you

need.


6 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 2Add the round margins. Inner margin of forewings overlaps the costal

margin of hindwings. The size of the margins and their angle can be

adjusted to your needs.


7 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 3Attach an apex at each of the wings. An apex can be small and almost

non-existent, or long and protruding.

Step 4Draw arcs bursting on curves from the base of the wings.


8 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 5Cross the costal margins with arcs.

Step 6Separate the inner margins with rough straight lines.


9 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 7Now connect a few of the arcs at every wing, creating a cell in the middle

called discal cell.

Step 8It's done! Now you just need to add various widths to all the lines to make

them more natural.


10 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

It's done! Now you just need to add various widths to all the lines to make

them more natural.

4. Draw a Monarch Butterfly

Step 1Let's start with the most popular species of North America - the monarch

butterfly. We can use the sketch from the previous exercise.


11 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 2Fill the costal and inner margin with black.

Step 3Fill the outer margin with black too, creating a wavy border attached to the

veins.


12 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 4Add a black patch in the upper part, leaving the apex clear.

Step 5Time to add the spots! Draw very thin, short lines at the borders, then two

circles right over them. Every cell should have two of these groups.


13 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 5Time to add the spots! Draw very thin, short lines at the borders, then two

circles right over them. Every cell should have two of these groups.

Step 6Now we can add the colors. Both wings are bright orange, with the hind

ones being a bit more yellow. The spots near the apex are yellow. The

apex itself is a bit darker, because the veins are so close to each other at

this place.


14 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

5. Draw a Mountain Blue Butterfly

Step 1Papilio ulysses, also called mountain blue, is a beautiful, big butterfly from

Australasia. Its wings have a long, regular costal margin and wavy borders

in the hind, with so called tails.

Step 2In forewing fill costal margin, apex and outer margin with black, leaving a


15 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 2In forewing fill costal margin, apex and outer margin with black, leaving a

little space next to the discal cell. Blacken the costal and outer margin of

the hindwings too, keeping the wavy border.

Step 3In the forewings, add grey "leaves" along the veins of the outer margin.

They should be only a bit lighter than the black around.


16 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 4Add a little black triangle at the top of discal cells of forewings.

Step 5


17 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 5You can now add the colors. The hindwings will be a bit lighter than the

forewings, with a slight greenish shade. You can also add a few narrow

spots at the border of hindwings.

6. Draw a Common Yellow Swallowtail

Step 1Did you know that calling this butterfly the swallowtail is a mistake? It's

actually a name of a whole family, not just this particular species. Anyway,

back to drawing. Its wings are pretty similar to the monarch, with the

characteristic tails in the hindwings added.


18 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 2Fill all the outer margins of the forewings with black. In the hindwings,

blacken the zone right next to the outer margin, and make the blackness

running down the veins. Add a "comma" in the inner margin, and also

stress the top of the discal cell.


19 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 3In the forewings, fill half of the discal cell with black, and add a thick stripe

in the other half. In the hindwings, add black stripes connecting the veins

right before the border. Blacken half of the inner margin too.

Step 4In the forewings, blacken the top of the discal cell. Stress some of the veins

touching the discal cell. Blacken a base of the apex and then add black

stripes in the costal margin, connecting them with other black patches.


20 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

In the forewings, blacken the top of the discal cell. Stress some of the veins

touching the discal cell. Blacken a base of the apex and then add black

stripes in the costal margin, connecting them with other black patches.

Step 5Let's add colors! The base colors for our butterfly is light yellow. Add blue,

diffused spots to the blackness in the hindwings. Don't forget to add the

distinctive red spot in the inner margin! In the forewing decorate the outer

margin with base colored spots.


21 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 6Our butterfly doesn't use all its veins as decoration. Some of them are

strongly covered with the base color. Also, the blackness in the inner parts

of the wings (next to the body) are mix of black and base color.


22 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

7. Draw an Amazon Angel

Step 1Time for my personal favorite, a rain forest butterfly of the chorinea family.

It's quite rare, but hey, it has transparent wings! When it comes to its wings

structure, the hindwings have an interesting shape and very long tails. The

body itself is pretty stocky.

Step 2In the forewings, blacken costal and outer margins with straight lines. In the

hindwings, fill the outer and inner margins with black, merging them above

the tails.


23 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 3Cross the wings with straight, thick lines touching the discal cells.


24 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 4Some of the veins are transparent too, giving an impression there is more

big cells. The membrane is transparent and clear like a foil.

Step 5There are some colors too! Add blue spots right next to the inner margin,

and a bright red patch below.


25 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

8. Design Your Own Butterfly

Step 1If you want to create your own butterfly, start with your chosen wing shape.

As you've already noticed, wings can be round and short or long and

narrow, with a characteristic tail. You can also let your imagination run wild

and add even more tails! That's your butterfly and you can do anything with

it, as long as you follow the general rules.


26 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 2The wings can be fully expanded or folded. The angle between them will

change the general shape of the wings - even narrow and long wings look

rounder when folded.

Step 3The easiest way to start with a pattern is to blacken/darken one or more of

the margins. You can also use a mix of them, for example blacken costal

and outer margin of the forewing, and inner margin of the hindwing. The

margins can be straight or merging into the veins.


27 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 4Blackened areas are great to place contrasting spots on them. They can be

any shape, any size, and they don't need to be symmetrical.


28 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 5Thick stripes can be used to fill the middle area of the wings. You can place

them next to the margins or play with them, drawing completely crazy

patches.

Step 6You can also stress the base elements of the wings, veins and cells, to

create interesting patterns.

Step 7A lot of butterflies have "eyes" on their wings to scare the predators. To


29 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Step 7A lot of butterflies have "eyes" on their wings to scare the predators. To

create them, draw contrasting, roughly concentric ovals. Black and white

give the best effect, but you can also use colors for them.

Step 8Last but not least, colors! It's the easiest thing, but here's a few tips.

Forewings are usually darker than hindwings, sometimes even their colors

are totally different. Always pick a base color first, then check what colors

will fit for the other elements.


30 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

Great Work, You're Now Done!

Now you should be able to draw any butterfly you want. If you'd like to

share your result, feel free to post it in the comments section.


31 de 31 15/09/2014 16:03

how to draw animals_ butterflies, their anatomy and wing patterns - tuts+ design & illustration...

Documents

butterfly anatomy

realistic butterflies

allkinds of butterflies

wing patterns

furevery butterfly

butterfly blend

butterfly bodystep

bentwhen wings