How to Draw a Ladybug Step by Step
Learning how to draw a ladybug is easy and fun. We’ll show you step by step how to draw, outline, and color your ladybug drawing with markers.
Art and drawing are skills anyone can learn. It just takes consistent practice over time. So if you want to learn how to draw a ladybug, you have the ability to do so.
Let’s grab some supplies and get ready to have some fun learning how to draw a ladybug.
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Art Supplies
- Thin black marker
- Paper or cardstock
- Markers
- Pencil
- Click Eraser, Pink Pearl Eraser
- White Gelly Roll pen
About Ladybugs
Also known as ladybirds in Great Britain, ladybugs are small beetles. There are almost 400 different types of them in North America.
Ladybugs do not sting, but some of them do bite. They are otherwise harmless.
The ladybug symbolizes luck and is often featured or included in works of art. It is said that the number of spots represents the number of months until you will receive this good luck.
And they’re pretty cute, and fun to draw.
Ladybug Sketch Practice
Doing a ladybug quick sketch practice exercise is a great way to warm up your drawing muscles and get more familiar with the subject matter.
And it’s really quick and easy to do. Here’s how:
- Get some paper and something to sketch with (pencil, pen, marker, etc.)
- Pull up some reference photos of ladybugs
- Set a timer for three or five minutes
Then quickly sketch out as many ladybug drawings as you can before you run out of time. Keep your lines loose and relaxed. You don’t need to worry about all the little details.
What you do want to focus on are the general shapes and proportions of the ladybugs. And work on getting more familiar with both them and what you like about drawing them. Get a feel for the style you want your drawings to be in.
Another option to using a timer is to continue sketching until you run out of room on your paper. Whether you are limiting your time or not, you want to work quickly and keep your lines loose.
How to Draw a Ladybug Step by Step
Breaking things down into simple shapes and forms is the best way to learn how to draw a ladybug or anything else.
It gets you started quickly and helps get a quick layout and proportions down. And it’s a great way to get yourself to put those first few marks on the paper. No more blank page syndrome!
Step 1: Basic Shapes
Learning how to draw a ladybug with shapes is the easiest approach. Begin by sketching out an oval for the body and a smaller circle for the head. Be sure the size and location looks right for your finished drawing.
Step 2: Rough Sketch
Let’s start adding some details by lightly sketching out the wings. Start with one of the wings. And then draw a mirror image of the other wing so your ladybug is symmetrical.
This ladybug will have wings that are slightly open. You could draw them closed as well.
Next sketch out the shape of the body where it’s visible between the wings.
And then draw the head and antennae. Make them whatever shape you think looks good. You can add a little thickness to the area where the antennae connect to the head. This will help them look more natural.
Step 3: Draw Details
Now we need to add in any extra details and clean the drawing up a bit. Add some spots on the wings. And tighten up your drawing wherever needed.
You can erase the extra pencil lines if you need to before moving onto the next step.
Ladybug Outline
Making your ladybug outline is really easy. Simply trace over the pencil lines you want to keep with a black pen or marker.
You can make your lines thin, thick, or a variation of line weights. Using a brush pen is a great way to get some nice variation in line weight.
Do whatever looks and feels right to you. Using a color other than black is an option as well.
When you’re finished making your ladybug outline, use an eraser to clean up your drawing and remove any pencil lines.
How to Draw a ladybug with Markers
Adding color to your ladybug drawing is easy and fun. In this tutorial markers were used. But colored pencils or another medium would work too.
Here’s how to add color with markers…
First, if you want to be able to blend your colors together you need to use alcohol based markers. Bic, Sharpie, and Copic for example. As well as many others.
Second, you need to work while the colors are still wet or they won’t mix together. This isn’t a big deal. Just make sure you work on a section at a time.
Third, you need to use colors that are similar to each other if you want to create a smooth transition of color. If your markers are too different they will leave a harder edge.
Then choose your colors and start filling in the different areas of your drawing. Make your ladybug whatever color you want.
If you’re using red, try using two or three different markers to avoid flat areas of color. It’s a really easy way to add some depth to your artwork and make it more interesting.
Avoid using solid black for the parts that are actually black. Try using some grays or maybe blue. Have fun and experiment a bit.
A white Gelly Roll pen can be used to add some highlights to your finished ladybug drawing.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Now that you know how to draw a ladybug step by step, what’s the next step? Since art and drawing are skills you can learn and improve, you’ll want to practice as consistently as possible.
This doesn’t mean you have to spend all your free time creating art. But you should try to make it a part of your daily routines.
The more you practice the better you will get. Try challenging yourself to do a series of ladybug drawings this week. Click on the link below to help get yourself started.
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