In this free art lesson, you'll learn how to draw a Monarch Butterfly (Side View) step-by-step. Each fall Monarch Butterflies migrate upwards of 3,000 miles from their summer breeding grounds in northeastern U.S. and Canada to overwintering grounds in southwestern Mexico!

Stay tuned for more free drawing lessons by:

Liking us on Facebook>>

Subscribing on YouTube.com>>

Following us on Instagram>>

All of the tutorials on How2DrawAnimals.com are good drawing tutorials for beginners and experienced artists alike. The online tutorials are easy to follow; they teach you the how to draw basics while showing you how to draw animals step by step. Each animal has a video drawing tutorial option, as well as step-by-step photos and written text to follow.

The Time-Lapse (Speed Drawing) video:

To draw a Monarch Butterfly step by step, follow along with the video tutorial below and pause the video after each step to draw at your own pace. You may find it easier to follow the step-by-step drawings below the video. The new lines in each step are shown in red, so you'll know exactly what to draw next. You may want to open the video in a new tab and use both drawing methods. Take your time and draw at your own pace.

The Written step-by-step video tutorial:

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a big shape as a guide for the monarch butterfly's hind wing. First draw a short, sloping line. On the left side of the sloping line, draw a big, curved line that's similar to the letter C. On the right side, draw a bigger curved line for the other edge of the hind wing. Draw this line farther down than the left side. Draw another sloping line at the bottom to close off the shape and finish the guide for the butterfly's hind wing.

Step 2: On top of the hind wing, on the right side, draw a curved, vertical line as the guide for the monarch butterfly's forewing. Now draw a long, diagonal line from the left side of the hind wing, to the top of the vertical line. This completes the shape of the guide.

Step 3: To the left of the wings, draw a small circle as a guide for the monarch butterfly's head.

Step 4: Draw a couple of curved lines that connect the head to the wings to create the guide for the butterfly's body.

Step 5: Under the body, draw an angled line as a guide for the first leg. Pay attention to how the line bends. To the right, draw another line that curves slightly to the right as a guide for the monarch butterfly's other leg.