Draw a butterfly – realistic and 3D
Did you know it could be this easy to draw a butterfly? I’ll show you in this mini class that you can create a delicate, 3D butterfly drawing using just a pencil and some smooth paper.
This method works by gradually adding layers of pencil to achieve subtle tonal transitions and details. It’s much the same as my watercolour method.
It doesn’t require any prep to give this a try, so I hope you’ll reach for a pencil and some paper right now and have a go with me.
You’ll see that I’m using a combination of pencils (3B and 8B so I can achieve a wide tonal range, and a mechanical pencil for fine details) but a good old HB pencil can give you a similar result – especially if you sharpen it for the finest details.
This mini class gives you a brief overview of each step so you can try them on your own. If you’re looking for more detailed instruction, there’s a full length video class in Nature Studio which is over an hour long and includes step by step instructions in real time. Members also get a traceable outline drawing and reference photos.
Let’s draw a butterfly:
I hope this mini class helped you to see how achievable it is to draw a realistic butterfly with only pencil. If this has given you the drawing bug and you’d like to draw other subjects using pencil, check out my free mini classes on how to draw a bird, a rose flower, a toadstool mushroom and a conker. – all with just a pencil.
If you’ve learned from this video or enjoyed watching, please leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you.
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I love your demos, Anna. Long back, I was a part of your online community. You are a wonderful teacher.
Thank you Meeta 🙂
Absolutely Stunning
I love looking at you videos and appreciate them very much.
I only wish I had more time at present to paint/draw.
Thank you so much for the joy they bring me.
Thank you Olivia for your lovely message. I hope you’ll find the time to give it a go. I find that once you have a project on the go, it’s easier to work on it in small pockets of time when you can find them.
Dear Anna,
I love your method of drawing and painting. I would like to join your school again. When will you have another 50% off event?
Sincerely,
Dana Fraley
Hello Dana, I’m glad to hear you’d like to come back. My next offer won’t be until late spring. If you’re on my mailing list you’ll hear about it then 🙂
Your work is exquisite. How do I join the FREE Class. I am in a financial bind presently and it would help me to get back to my watercolor painting that I absolutely love.
Thank you,
Pat
Thank you Pat. I asked my team to contact you with a link to the free class. You can also find it under Free Class in the main menu on this website.
I’m taking a break from painting for a bit, Anna, have taken up journaling for the winter months, using a pencil and black pen to create small drawings on the odd space. Your lovely butterfly will fit right in. Christiane
That sounds like lots of fun Christiane. Enjoy!