5 Easy Steps to Draw a Bumblebee: A Beginner's Guide

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 11 July 2023 6 min read

Excited to learn how to draw a bumblebee? You've come to the right place! Welcome to this easy and engaging guide, designed to take you through every step of creating a fabulous bumblebee drawing. We've broken down the process into five simple steps, so it's perfect for beginners or anyone looking for a fun, quick project. Now, let's dive into our first step and get those pencils ready for some easy drawing bumblebee fun!

1. Gather Your Drawing Tools

Before we start buzzing with excitement, let's make sure we have all the tools we need at our disposal. Here's what you'll need to get started:

Selecting the Right Type of Paper

A good drawing starts with the right type of paper. While any paper can work, a medium-weight drawing paper is a good choice for beginners. It's sturdy enough to hold up against erasing and shading. Plus, it's smooth enough for your pencil to glide across easily.

Choosing Your Pencils

Pencils come in a variety of types and grades. For your easy drawing bumblebee, you'll want a mix of both hard (H) and soft (B) pencils. Soft pencils are great for darker lines and shading, while hard pencils work well for lighter lines and details. Consider starting with a 2H for your initial sketch and then moving to a 6B for shading.

Other Essential Tools

Along with your paper and pencils, there are a few other items you might find helpful. A good eraser is vital for fixing mistakes and creating highlights. A pencil sharpener will keep your lines sharp and precise. And lastly, a smudging tool or cotton swab can help you add some texture to your bumblebee's fuzzy body. Now that we've got our tools, we're ready to study our model and start our sketch!

2. Study and Understand the Bumblebee Anatomy

It's time to get to know our subject before we start our easy drawing bumblebee. A bumblebee, like all insects, has three main body parts: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. Understanding these parts will help you create a more accurate and lifelike drawing.

The Head

The head of the bumblebee is where you'll find the eyes, antennae, and mouthparts. Bumblebee heads are usually oval-shaped with large compound eyes on the sides. Also, they have two antennae sticking out from the front. These are important details to capture in your drawing.

The Thorax

Moving on to the thorax — this is the powerhouse of the bumblebee, housing the muscles that control the wings and legs. It's also where you'll find the bumblebee's fuzzy coat. The thorax is typically larger than the head and appears as a rounded shape in most views.

The Abdomen

Lastly, we have the abdomen. This part is usually the largest and is made up of several segments. The abdomen often has alternating yellow and black bands, which are a distinctive feature of the bumblebee. This is also where you'll find the stinger—although we're focusing on a friendly bumblebee drawing, so no need to make the stinger too prominent!

Now that we've studied the bumblebee anatomy, capturing their likeness in your drawing will be a breeze. Remember, art is about interpretation, not perfection. Enjoy the process as much as the outcome. Ready to start sketching?

3. Start Your Sketch

Armed with an understanding of the bumblebee anatomy, it's now time to start our sketch. Don't worry, we're not aiming for a masterpiece, just a simple, easy drawing of a bumblebee. So, grab your pencils and let's get started!

Drawing the Basic Shape

First things first, we'll break down our bumblebee into simple shapes. Start by sketching three ovals for the head, thorax, and abdomen. Make sure to keep the lines light — you'll erase these guide lines later. Remember, the head is the smallest oval, followed by the thorax and then the larger abdomen. Try to position your ovals so they create a dynamic, natural position for your bumblebee. Not too rigid, but a little buzzing around!

Adding Details

Now let's add the details. For the head, sketch in the eyes, antennae, and mouthparts. The eyes are large and on the sides of the head. Draw two small circles for the antennae bases and then extend them with curvy lines. For the mouth, a simple line will do.

On the thorax, draw two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs. Bumblebee wings are slightly translucent and have a distinct vein pattern, but a simple teardrop shape will do for our sketch. Legs are a little tricky, with each pair slightly different. However, breaking them down into simple lines and shapes can make them easier to draw.

Finally, move to the abdomen and sketch in the segments and color bands. Don't forget to hint at the fuzzy texture of the bumblebee's body. We'll refine these details later, but for now, just focus on getting the basic structure right.

Well done! You've made the first sketch of your bumblebee. See, it's not as hard as it seemed, right? Now, let's move on to refining your sketch and adding some depth and details to your easy drawing bumblebee.

4. Refine Your Drawing

Great work on your sketch! Now, let's add some depth and personality to your bumblebee drawing. This stage is all about refining the lines, adding shading, and correcting any mistakes. Let's dive right in!

Incorporating Shading and Texture

First, let's darken the final lines of your drawing and erase any remaining sketch lines. Now, we're going to add some shading. This will give your bumblebee a three-dimensional look. Use your pencil to gently shade the underside of the bumblebee and the parts of the body that would naturally be in shadow. Remember, shading is all about observing light and shadow, so don't be afraid to use reference photos.

Next, let's tackle the texture. Bumblebees are fuzzy creatures, so try to replicate this in your drawing. How? Tiny, short strokes work well. For the wings, remember they're slightly translucent, so leave some parts lighter to suggest this.

Correcting Mistakes

Now, take a step back and look at your drawing. Is there anything that looks off? Maybe one of the wings is a bit larger than the other, or perhaps the abdomen is not as rounded as you'd like. This is the time to correct those mistakes. Don't worry if you've made a few, it's all part of the learning process. The beauty of pencil drawing is that you can erase and redraw until you're happy with the result.

And there you have it! Your simple bumblebee drawing is now looking more refined and realistic. But we're not done yet. The final step will bring your bumblebee to life!

5. Add the Final Touch

Now, we've reached the most exciting part of our easy drawing bumblebee guide - adding the final touches. This is where your bumblebee goes from a simple sketch to a vibrant, life-like piece. Ready to bring your bumblebee to life? Let's do it!

Finalizing the Details

First up, it's time to go over your drawing one last time and add any final details. Maybe your bumblebee needs some extra fuzz, or perhaps the wings need a few more veins. This is also the time to darken any lines that have gotten a bit faint with all the erasing and redrawing. Remember, details are the secret to making your bumblebee drawing stand out.

Adding Color

Now comes the real fun — adding color! Bumblebees are known for their bright yellow and black stripes, so grab your color pencils, markers, or watercolors, and let's get started. Begin with the yellow parts, then alternate with black. And don't forget to color the wings a light blue or grey to reflect their natural translucency.

Remember, the goal is to make your bumblebee look as realistic as possible, so pay attention to where the light hits and leave those areas a bit lighter. Coloring is all about layering, so start light and gradually build up the color.

And there you have it! You've just completed an easy drawing of a bumblebee. Congratulations! With a bit of practice, you'll be buzzing through these sketches in no time. Happy drawing!

If you enjoyed learning the easy steps to draw a bumblebee and want to expand your drawing skills further, check out the workshop 'Learn How to Draw in Procreate' by Vicky Catalan. This workshop will teach you the ins and outs of drawing in Procreate, allowing you to create stunning digital art with ease.