How to Draw a Butterfly in Procreate (Easy Symmetry Trick), by Pretty Little Lines on YouTube. 25 min 55 s.
- Video length
- 25 min 55 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Open Procreate and create a square canvas, such as 2048 x 2048 pixels, so the butterfly has room to grow. Set the background color to white or a pale tint.
Tap Actions, then Canvas, then turn on Drawing Guide. Tap Edit Drawing Guide, choose Symmetry, select Vertical, and position the guide down the center of the canvas.
Tap the layer you will sketch on and choose Drawing Assist so your strokes mirror across the vertical line. Check that both sides draw together before you start.
With a pencil brush, sketch the body, antennae, and one wing shape along the center guide. Keep the body on the center line and let the wing spread to one side.
Lower the sketch layer opacity to about 30 percent. Add a new layer above it and redraw clean, confident outlines over the mirrored sketch.
Hide the sketch layer. Add a new layer below the line art, choose a soft brush, and block in wing colors inside the shapes.
Create a clipping mask on a new layer above the color layer. Paint soft shadows and gradients along the wing edges and body to add depth.
Add final details on a new layer: small spots, veins, highlights, and a soft shadow under the body. Hide the symmetry guide when done.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the butterfly body exactly on the symmetry line so the two wings meet cleanly.
Use separate layers for line art, color, and shading so you can fix one part without repainting everything.
If the mirrored stroke feels stiff, turn off Drawing Assist for small organic details.
Use a soft brush at low opacity for shading, then blend the edges with the Smudge tool.
Questions
Do I need an Apple Pencil?
A compatible stylus works, but pressure-sensitive drawing is easier with an Apple Pencil. It gives you smoother control for line art and shading.
Can I draw a butterfly without symmetry?
Yes. Sketch the body and one wing, then duplicate and flip the wing layer to make the other side match.
How do I stop the symmetry guide from affecting other layers?
Drawing Assist is set per layer, so turn it off on layers where you want freehand marks. The guide can stay visible without mirroring every stroke.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
