Easy Way to Draw a Ladybug Kids

How to Draw a Ladybug

posted in: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, Crayons, Drawing, Easy How to Draw Tutorials, How to Draw Animals, View by Grade, View by Media |

Learn how to draw a ladybug with a side view to show off all those spots on her back.

Did you ever wonder where the name "ladybug" came from? After all, it doesn't really sound very scientific. It was actually coined by European farmers who prayed to the Virgin Mary when pests began eating their crops. After ladybugs came and wiped out the invading insects, the farmers named them "beetle of Our Lady." This eventually was shortened to "lady beetle" and "ladybug."

Most ladybugs have oval, dome-shaped bodies with six short legs. Depending on the species, they can have spots, stripes, or no markings at all. Seven-spotted ladybugs are red or orange with three spots on each side and one in the middle.

This ladybug tutorial shows how some strategic lines can make a flat oval look dimensional. The key is the curved wing line along the back, and spots that seem to be evenly divided on both sides. It's a clear example of how LINES can make a SHAPE look like it has more FORM, all Elements of Arts, by the way.

Getting Started with Drawing Guides

The best way to get students off to a good start to any drawing lesson is to show them how to use guides as a reference point.

You may have noticed that all of the tutorials on this site have a dashed line running through the center of each step, both in the horizontal and vertical direction. If students make theirown centered lines on theirown paper, before drawing, they will have an easy reference to follow.

For instance, as seen in Step 1 below, the large oval for the body needs to be sitting near the top of the paper, and a little to the left of center. It's important to draw that shape big enough and high enough on the sheet of paper so that there's room for the head and legs underneath.

When students get their drawing off to a good start, there's a better chance of them feeling successful by the time they are done. Drawing skills are all about getting the size and placement of lines on paper, so having some visual reference point to get started, will always help anyone learn how to be a little more accurate.

So does that mean students need to get out a ruler to draw a big fat line down the center of their paper before they start? Goodness no, please don't! That will most likely be hard to erase and distract from any finished art. No, simply fold the sheet of paper in half both ways, make a crease, and unfold. The beauty is that by the time the drawing is done and colored in, the creases will disappear.

And now, on to the ladybug drawing project.

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Preview of the Step by Step Ladybug Tutorial

Recommended Materials

Eraser. Large ones you can hold in your hand do a much better job than just the pencil tips.

Black Sharpie Marker. These fine point permanent marker pens make nice black outlines, have a good tip for coloring, and never bleed when they get wet. Use them with good ventilation and add extra paper underneath to protect your tables.

Prang Crayons. These are a bit softer than other crayons so they sometimes look like oil pastels. They also have a some nice brown shades that Crayola does not have unless you buy their larger boxes.

Crayola Crayons. The reliable brand that always works well. The 24 pack has some of my favorite golden orange and yellow colors that seem a bit richer and warmer than the ones Prang has.