Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Praying Mantis" 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 an ellipse as a guide for the praying mantis' lower body or abdomen. First draw two small curved lines far from each other, then connect them with two long lines. The ellipse should have a diagonal orientation, as the mantis will be standing.
Step 2: Draw a triangle on the upper right side of the abdomen as a guide for the praying mantis' head. Make the corners of the triangle rounder. Don't place the head too high up, otherwise your mantis will end up too long.
Step 3: Draw two parallel lines that connect the praying mantis' head to the body as a guide for the middle part of the body or the thorax.
Step 4: Draw a line under the thorax as a guide for the praying mantis' bent front legs. First draw a V-shaped line. Then add a curved line to the right of it.
Step 5: Draw two more lines under the praying mantis' body as guides for the other legs. Bend the lines to indicate where the joints will be. The leg on the left will be bigger, so draw that line longer. The end result of both legs combined should be similar to a spread-out letter M.
That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.
Step 6: Draw the eyes by first lightly sketching two circles on the top corners of the praying mantis' head. Darken the circles but make the left sides flatter. The eyes should be up near the corners of the triangle.
Step 7: Draw the first part of the praying mantis' mouth on the lower corner of the triangle. Draw four long, thin segments pointing down toward the corner of the triangle.
Step 8: Now draw the main part of the praying mantis' mouth behind the segments. Draw a hexagonal shape for the mouth and shade the middle part for the opening.
Step 9: Draw the antennae as two long, thin lines on top of the praying mantis' head. Curve the lines outward a bit. You can make the antennae longer if you'd like.
Step 10: Use the main triangle as a guide to draw the rest of the head. Follow the basic path of the triangle but make the shape thinner as you darken the lines. Add some lines inside for extra detail.
Step 11: Use the line on the right as a guide to draw the first part of the praying mantis' front leg. Follow the basic path of the guide in the middle and make the shape thicker and more bulky. The middle part of the shape should be thicker and the ends pointier. Now draw the part of the arm that connects the body. This segment should be a bit thinner. Add a row of small triangle-like shapes along the first shape for the spines that help hold prey.
Step 12: Now draw the front part of the folded front leg. Make this segment thinner as you follow the shape of the line and have it come to a point. Draw the tiny spines on the left side of the shape.
Step 13: Use the angled line in the middle as a guide to draw the praying mantis' leg. The leg is made up of segments. Follow the basic path of the line as you draw the segments that make up the leg. The legs are thin, so keep close to the guides as you darken the lines.
Step 14: Use the line on the left as a guide to draw the praying mantis' final leg. Make the legs skinny as you follow the path of the guides. Divide the leg into separate segments. You can draw them in any order you'd like.
Step 15: Use the two parallel lines in the middle as guides to draw the thorax. Draw a long, thin shape for the top part and a series of curved lines as you follow the guide for the bottom part.
Step 16: Draw the top part of the praying mantis' abdomen by using the initial ellipse shape as a guide. Draw a smaller ellipse within the abdomen for the folder wing resting on top. Try not to overlap the shape of the ellipse with the leg. Draw the end of the abdomen on the left of the initial guide just outside of the original ellipse.
Step 17: Draw the bottom of the abdomen by using the rest of the ellipse as a guide. Extend the abdomen toward the outside of the ellipse and draw a few curved lines inside for the individual segments.
Step 18: Draw the set of legs on the other side of the body by using the first set as a template. First draw the praying mantis' leg on the left by duplicating the previous leg. The middle segments should be hidden behind the body. Now draw the leg in the middle by following the path of the initial leg and drawing a similar one to the right of it but smaller. Finish up by drawing the leg in the front. Most of it will be hiding behind the leg on this side, so just draw the bits sticking out.
Step 19 (optional): You can stop here for a sketchy look or erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines for a cleaner look. 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 (optional): Add some shading to your praying mantis drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Shade each segment separately and take your time, as adding the value can be time-consuming.
Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the mantis 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 more value throughout your drawing for extra detail. Praying mantises are usually a single color, so add a solid value throughout the body. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. If you have mantises in your backyard, check them out and use them for reference. Remember to pause the "How to Draw a Praying Mantis" video after each step to draw at your own pace.
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