How to Draw a Dragonfly

In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Dragonfly in 5 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.

The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.

Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.

At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Dragonfly.

Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.

How to Draw a Dragonfly - Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Let's draw a dragonfly! Starting with the top of the body, trace an oval. The second part of the body is also a long oval shape but is much skinnier and pointy at the end. Draw three lines all along the second part of the body.

Step 2: Trace a circle at the top of the body for the head.

Step 3: Add two large circles at the top of the head for eyes, and two long lines coming out of the top of the head for antennas.

Step 4: Now, for the wings. At the top of the oval shape, trace a skinny rectangular shape for wings, but be careful! Curb the lines so that they look like real wings. Do the same for the other side, and draw another pair of wings on either side of the bottom of the oval.

Step 5: Last, draw the legs under the eyes, tracing the lines out, then up, and out again. Here's a tip: make the last part of the leg shorter than the other parts. There's your dragonfly! Did you know that dragonflies have compound eyes? This means that their large eyes are made up of thousands of small lenses. They can see in many different directions at once!

Interesting Facts about Dragonflies

Dragonflies are insects that are known to have long bodies and transparent wings. There are more than 5,000 species of dragonflies. They live in warm climates close to water.

Did you know?

  • Dragonflies can fly backwards.
  • Dragonflies are some of the fastest flying insects in the world. They can fly faster than 30 miles per hour.
  • Before they can fly, their wings have to warm up in the sun.
  • The size of the dragonfly ranges from half an inch to more than 5 inches long.
  • Dragonflies eat mosquitoes, gnats, flies, and even other dragonflies.
  • Dragonflies have compound eyes, which are large eyes made up of thousands of small lenses. They can see in many different directions at once.
  • Like other insects, dragonflies have six legs, but they do not walk very well.
  • Dragonflies can live up to 6 years.
  • Young dragonflies are called nymphs. They live in water until they become adults.

Dragonflies have been around for about 300 million years. At the time of the dinosaurs, dragonflies were larger, and they had wingspans of 2 1/2 feet. Similar to bird watching, people like spending time watching dragonflies as well. In Japan, they are a symbol of strength, courage, and happiness.

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