Learn how to draw an easy caterpillar that has extra squishy looking sections. A little shading along the edges adds some extra dimension.
A caterpillar is the larva of a butterfly or moth which has a segmented wormlike body and legs. Caterpillars may be hairy, have bright colors to scare away predators, or be colored to resemble their surroundings. In short, there are many different kinds so a drawing of one can look many different ways.
Most young artists think a caterpillar is best drawn as a series of circles, but I found this method works even better. Turns out if you start by drawing the lines where the sections connect, and then attach them with curves, you get a much more realistic look. It’s an easy way to make them look like a series of fat sections, and not some circles that are barely touching each other. Just be sure to make that first line light, as it’s just a guide to get started and doesn’t need to be in the finished drawing.
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Caterpillar Coloring Page
Materials for How to Draw an Easy Caterpillar
- Pencil. The Ticonderoga brand are the most reliable, make nice dark lines when you need them, and are the easiest to erase. Buying the pre-sharpened ones will save busy teachers a lot of time.
- Eraser. Large ones you can hold in your hand do a much better job than just the pencil tip erasers, especially when erasing leftover pencil lines after tracing.
- 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.
Directions for How to Draw an Easy Caterpillar
Time needed: 50 minutes.
How to Draw an easy Caterpillar
- Draw the center spine (very lightly).
- Draw eight lines centered on the spine.
- Connect the top ends with a curved line.
- Connect the bottom ends with a curved line.
- Erase the spine line and add the head.
- Draw eyes and mouth.
- Add spots, antennae, and lots of feet.
- Trace with marker, color with dark green.
- Color the rest of the caterpillar.
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