Biodiversity > Draw a Monarch

Look in books and magazines like Natural History and National Geographic for beautiful photographs or illustrations of monarchs. You can do your research online or at a library.

TIP: A mix of scientific illustrations and photographs gives the most accurate idea of colors. Looking at images of monarchs from different angles and in different poses will make your drawing more lifelike.

Here is a photo to get you started.

To develop good observation skills and understanding of monarchs, look closely at the references you have.

Notice the details of the butterfly:

• How big is its body? What shape is it?
• Where are the patterns on the wings? Do you see any veins?
• Where are the eyes? What shape are they?

Lightbulbs go off when you draw. You notice things that you might never have noticed otherwise!

• Look closely at the picture you are going to draw for a minute before you start. (If you forgot to print it, here it is again.)
• Hold the printed outline up to a window. The sunnier the better!
• Put your blank page on top.
• Using your hard pencil (#3), lightly trace over the outline and all the details of the butterfly.
• When you have finished, remove your tracing and the outline from the window.

TIP: Tape both the outline and your paper to the window. This will keep both pieces of paper firmly in place as you draw.

• Start by making a black outline with short, heavy lines around your tracing using your #1 or #2 pencil.
• Draw around the white dots in the wings and then make short zigzag lines around them. Use the tan pencil to fill in the wing color. Start at the edges. Look carefully at your reference materials as you do this and leave the centers of the wings white.
• Make large lines with your orange pencil. Carefully go over the tan areas and then the rest of the white wing space, except for the white dots.

TIP: Put a piece of plain white paper under your drawing hand to avoid smearing the drawing. Turn the drawing around as you work—don't forget to turn the white paper also to keep it under your drawing hand!

• Put some shape around your drawing to create the feeling of a background. Nature magazines often show an insect or animal in sharp focus while the background is fuzzy.
• Use the light green pencil to make an interesting shape around the butterfly, and use the dark green pencil to give a sense of shadows. A little goes a long way! 

TIP: You can draw short, zigzagging lines to make it look as if the butterfly had just landed on some grass. Keep the lines soft and fuzzy, and your butterfly will stand out beautifully!