Now you know the basic technique, why not have a go at drawing other butterfly varieties? Our personal favourites are the multi-coloured Small Tortoiseshell or the iconic Red Admiral.

Finished butterfly drawing

What is a peacock butterfly?

Peacock butterflies have distinct, abstract markings and colours so vivid they look just like they’ve been painted by hand!

These stunning butterflies have deep red patches on their brown wings, which gives them a brilliant splash of colour. You’ll also notice yellow tones on the wing and even a hint of violet.

The name peacock comes from the blue markings on the butterfly’s hindwings, which look just like eyes! These eyes are designed to scare off predators, keeping the butterfly safe.

In our butterfly drawing tutorial, we’ll show you how to build up the rich colours on the butterfly’s wings, how to blend in the lighter tones and how to add those stunning iridescent eyes.

The best materials for drawing butterflies

Bread and butter paper

We’re using Bread and Butter Paper, which you can buy in individual, large A1 sheets from a specialist fine art shop. It’s a heavyweight cartridge paper with a very smooth surface (actually used for printing), and it’s a great soft surface to draw on.

Caran d’ache colouring pencils

We love Caran d'ache watercolour crayons, which are soft and blendable. The colours are also very vibrant and bright whilst still being natural. The Derwent ‘drawing’ pencil range is also very creamy and great for blends, but the colours are much more muted.

Rubber

Use a Faber Castell putty rubber that will lift colour off the page without smudging.

Now you’re ready to start drawing your butterfly!

Mastering your technique: The key to drawing lifelike butterflies

Drawing butterflies that come to life on the page is as much about layering colour as it is picking an (almost) symmetrical design. Once you master the art of layering with bold, exciting colours, you can capture the dynamism that makes butterflies such a fascinating point of study for nature enthusiasts and budding artists alike.

Explore the natural world through art with Gathered

The natural world can be an incredible source of inspiration for artists of all ages. If you’ve enjoyed learning how to draw a butterfly, you might also like our easy how to draw a bird tutorial.

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