How to Draw a Fly
Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Fly" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.
Step 1: Draw a circle as a guide for the front part of the fly's body or thorax. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on the sides for the rest of the body and head.
Step 2: Draw an arc on the left side of the circle to complete the guide for the fly's thorax. The arc should be wide and the left side should almost be flat.
Step 3: Add a circle on the left side of the thorax as the guide for the bottom half of the fly's body called the abdomen. This circle should be bigger than the first and should be placed lower than the thorax.
Step 4: Draw a series of curved lines around the circle to complete the guide for the fly's abdomen. A couple of lines to connect to the thorax on the right and a thin arc on the lower left for the bottom of the abdomen.
Step 5: Draw a small circle to the right of the thorax as a guide for the top part of the fly's head.
Step 6: Draw an arc similar to the letter U under the circle as a guide for the lower half of the fly's head.
Step 7: Draw a small angled line under the head as a guide for the fly's mouth and an arc on top of the body as a guide for the fly's wings. This arc should be long and thin and should mainly be above the abdomen.
Step 8: Draw three angled lines under the body as a guide for the fly's legs. Pay close attention to how the lines bend. This will indicate the joints go later on. Pause the video to get the lines right. The line on the right and middle point forward, while the line on the left points back.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 9: Draw the fly's big compound eye inside the head. The eye takes up most of the space inside the head. The shape is slightly similar to an oval with a flat left side.
Step 10: Draw the fly's short antenna on the right side of the head using a series of small segments. The antenna should point down and the segments should get bigger toward the tip.
Step 11: Use the initial shapes as guides to draw the fly's head. Follow the path of the guides but make the top thinner and the bottom thicker as you darken the lines. Add a couple of lines on the left side to connect to the thorax.
Step 12: Use the line below the fly's head as a guide to draw the mouthpart or labium. This is a simplified version of the complex labium, so just draw it using a series of different-sized segments.
Step 13: Draw the small hair-like strands all around the fly's head. Use quick, short strokes of different sizes to create the hair on the head.
Step 14: Use the line on the right side as a guide to draw the front leg that's on this side of the body. Follow the basic path of the guide as you draw the fly's leg using multiple segments. Try not to make the segments too thick as you darken the lines.
Step 15: Use the line in the middle as a guide to draw the second leg that's on this side of the fly's body. Use thin segments as you follow the basic path of the guide line. The base of the leg is blocked a bit by the leg itself.
Step 16: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the third leg that's on this side of the fly's body. Draw the individual segments as you follow the path of the guide. Make sure that all the legs are coming from the thorax, not the abdomen.
Step 17: Use the arc on top of the fly's body as a guide to draw the wings. Darken the shape and extend the line so that the base of the wing is inside the thorax. Add another line above the wing that's parallel to the shape for the fly's wing on the other side.
Step 18: Use the initial shapes as guides to draw the fly's thorax. Make the shape wavier as you darken the lines. The lines for the thorax shouldn't overlap the legs.
Step 19: Darken the outer portion of the initial guide lines on the left to create the shape of the fly's thorax.
Step 20: Draw the three legs on the other side of he fly's body by using the ones on this side as guides. The legs on the other side should be similar to the legs on this side, only smaller and thinner. Bend the legs and add the segments just like with the legs on this side. Be sure to not overlap the lines.
Step 21 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.
Final Step: Add some shading to your fly drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source so that the shadows are consistent with it. Don't worry too much about the shading if you're going to add more value to your fly drawing later.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the fly so it doesn't appear to be floating. Use a darker value near the middle of the shadow and a lighter value along the edge for the shadow's diffusion.
You can add even more value throughout your fly drawing for extra detail. Make the top area of the compound eye lighter to represent the shiny texture. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Add the value lightly at first, then gradually build up to the level of darkness that you want. Alternate between light and dark value on the thorax to get the distinctive striped pattern of a housefly.You can also color your drawing green or blue for the metallic shiny texture of a green or blue bottle fly.
Vary the pressure on your pencil as you shade the thorax to create a series of bumps and bulges. Shading can be time-consuming, so be patient and take breaks. Use quick, short strokes within the thorax to represent the hair found all over the fly's body. Move on to shading the abdomen when you finish up with the thorax. Continue shading the abdomen and add the hair using quick, short strokes. Notice that the shading overlaps the wings because they are see-through. Draw some curved lines within the shape of the wings to represent the veiny texture. Add a very light value to the wings, as they are mostly transparent. Use a darker value when shading the fly's legs. Add the hair on the legs using quick, short strokes and don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Fly" video after each step to follow at your own pace.
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