How to draw a monarch butterfly - a free monarch butterfly drawing guide
Draw a monarch butterfly by sketching symmetrical wings, adding wing veins and orange and black patterns, then color carefully to finish.
Photos of monarch butterfly drawings
Step-by-step guide to draw a monarch butterfly
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Step 1
Gather the drawing materials listed above and put them where you can reach them.
Step 2
Lightly draw a straight vertical center line down the middle of your paper.
Step 3
Sketch a small oval for the head and a long narrow body along the center line.
Step 4
On the right side lightly draw a big curved top wing shape starting from the top of the body.
Step 5
On the right side lightly draw a rounded bottom wing shape starting from the lower part of the body.
Step 6
Carefully copy both right wing shapes onto the left side so they mirror the right side across the center line.
Step 7
Draw thin vein lines from the body outward across each wing using your pencil.
Step 8
Draw a thick border line around each wing edge with pencil to mark the black outer pattern.
Step 9
Add small round spots along the outer edge and tips of the wings with pencil and leave them uncolored.
Step 10
Trace all final pencil outlines veins spots and the body with your black marker.
Step 11
Wait one minute for the black marker ink to dry.
Step 12
Gently erase any remaining pencil lines so only the black marker lines remain.
Step 13
Carefully color the inner wing panels orange staying inside the black outlines.
Step 14
Carefully color the wing borders veins and body black to finish the monarch pattern.
Step 15
Share a photo of your finished monarch butterfly on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a black marker or orange coloring?
If you don't have a black marker, use a fine-tip black pen or dark crayon to trace the final outlines and veins, and for the orange inner wing panels substitute orange crayons, colored pencils, or watered-down orange paint.
My left wing won't mirror the right—how can I fix that?
If the left wing won't mirror the right, fold the paper along the lightly drawn vertical center line and trace the right wing onto the left with a light pencil before darkening the copied shapes.
How can I adapt the steps for different age groups?
For younger children pre-draw the center line and wing shapes and let them color the orange panels and add big spots with crayons, while older kids can draw thin vein lines, carefully trace with a black marker, wait for the ink to dry, erase pencil lines, and add shading or realistic patterns.
How can we enhance or personalize the finished monarch?
To personalize or extend the project, add glitter or white paint to the small round spots, or cut out the colored wings and attach them to the body with a small brass fastener so the wings can move before sharing a photo on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw a monarch butterfly
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Facts about drawing for kids
🪶 Butterfly wings are covered in thousands of tiny scales that create color and can rub off like glitter.
🦋 Monarch butterflies can migrate up to 3,000 miles — one of the longest insect migrations on Earth.
🍊 The monarch’s bright orange-and-black pattern is a warning: its caterpillars eat milkweed and become distasteful to predators.
🔁 Wing patterns are usually bilaterally symmetrical, which is why folding or tracing helps artists make matching sides.
🕸️ Wing veins act like tiny struts and plumbing: they give wings strength and carry nutrients during development.
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