How to Draw a Dragonfly

Learn how to draw a dragonfly with 2 easy step-by-step drawing tutorials.

Beginners and kids of all ages will love the cute cartoon dragonfly. It’s simple, fast to do, and can be done in 6 easy steps.

And for kids that prefer a more realistic dragonfly, we have that too. There are 9 easy step-by-step instructions showing how to draw the side view of this 4-winged insect.

A free PDF with simple instructions for both dragonflies is available for download and print.

Supplies

Before you start drawing, make sure you have everything you’ll need. You’ll need:

paper
a pencil
an eraser
any coloring materials you want to use (colored pencils, markers, etc.)

How to Draw a Simple Dragonfly

Grab your pencil and paper; we’re going to draw this cute flying insect.

Step 1: Draw the Eyes

Begin by drawing 2 circles side by side. Both circles need to be the same size and touching.

Drawing 2 circles for the eyes of a simple dragonfly.

Step 2: Draw the Pupils, Head, and Mouth

To finish drawing the eyes, draw a smaller circle inside each of the eyes.

Then, draw the head by drawing a rectangular U shape that starts under one eye and finishes under the other.

And finally, draw a smile inside the head for a mouth.

Drawing the head in step 2 of drawing a simple dragonfly.

Step 3: Draw the Abdomen

Place your pencil at the bottom of the head, in the middle of the left half. From there, draw a curved left line downwards.

Make another curved line on the right side that curves to the right. Both lines should end when they meet. It will end in a point. Dragonflies have large bodies in comparison to their head.

Drawing the abdomen in step 3 of drawing a simple dragonfly.

Step 4: Draw Lines Inside the Abdomen

Draw 6 evenly spaced horizontal lines inside the dragonfly’s abdomen.

Drawing lines in the abdomen in step 4 of drawing a simple dragonfly.

Step 5: Draw 2 Wings on the Left

Dragonflies have 4 wings. Draw 2 horizontal wings on the left side of the dragonfly, one wing above the other. Each wing has a point, that is near the abdomen.

In our drawing, the wings go close to but do not touch each other or the abdomen. But you have full creative freedom if you prefer the wings to be touching.

Drawing the left wings in step 5 of drawing a simple cartoon dragonfly.

Step 6: Draw 2 Wings on the Right

Draw 2 additional wings on the right side of the dragonfly.

Drawing the right wings in step 6 of drawing a simple cartoon dragonfly.

Simple Dragonfly Drawing

Your finished dragonfly drawing will probably look something like this:

The drawing of a cute, easy-to-draw cartoon dragonfly for kids.

Grab some pencil crayons, and have fun coloring.

You can download a free printable copy of the steps at the end of the article.

How to draw a simple cartoon dragonfly in 6 easy steps.

How to Draw a Realistic Dragonfly

We’re going to draw the side view of a realistic dragonfly. Our dragonfly will be facing left.

Step 1: Draw the Head

Begin by drawing a closed shape that somewhat resembles an oval.

The left side needs to have more of a curve, as it is the front of the dragonfly’s head.

Drawing the head in step 1 of drawing the side view of a realistic dragonfly.

Step 2: Draw the Thorax

Starting from the back of the head, draw an upward arch.

At the end of the curved arch, draw another curved line back to the head, but this time with less curve.

Drawing the thorax in step 2 of drawing the side view of a realistic dragonfly.

Step 3: Draw the Abdomen

Starting from the back of the thorax, draw the abdomen with this elongated shape.

Step 3 of drawing the side view of a realistic dragonfly: drawing the abdomen.

Step 4: Draw 2 Forewings

Dragonflies have four wings in total. Draw the two forewings on the upper part of the thorax.

Start by drawing the dragonfly’s left wing. Afterward, draw the right wing. It will be partly behind the first wing.

Drawing the 2 forewings of a dragonfly. This is step 4 of drawing the side view of a realistic dragonfly.

Step 5: Draw 2 Hindwings

Behind the upper wings, draw 2 hind wings.

Step 5 of drawing the side view of a realistic dragonfly: drawing the 2 hindwings.

Step 6: Draw Legs

Dragonfly legs are usually long and delicate. They have six jointed legs extending from the thorax.

In this step, we’re only going to draw five of the legs.

Draw three thin, jointed legs extending from the left side of the thorax.

Next, we need to draw two more legs behind the legs in the front. To make it look like the legs are on the other side of the thorax, draw them shorter, about half the length of the front legs.

Step 6 of drawing the side view of a realistic dragonfly: drawing 5 of the legs.

Step 7: Draw Eye

First we will draw one of the dragonfly’s compound eyes. Dragonfly eyes are quite big and take up a significant portion of the head. You can add some small curved lines inside the eyes.

Step 7 of drawing the side view of a realistic dragonfly: drawing a compound eye.

Step 8: Draw Antennae & 6th Leg

Next, draw two thin antennae from the top of the dragonfly’s head. Keep them relatively short and simple.

Then, it’s time to draw the sixth and final leg. In our drawing, we see this leg sticking out in front of the dragonfly. Draw this leg from the lower half of the compound eye.