A dragonfly with four open wings

Practice paired shapes with a dragonfly viewed from above. Four narrow wings, a segmented body, and a few simple vein lines give it a clear structure.

A way into the drawing

1. Set the body axis

   Draw a small head, a compact thorax, and a long tapering abdomen. Divide the abdomen with a few broad curved lines.

2. Pair the four wings

   Place two wings on each side, keeping their roots close to the thorax. Make the rear pair slightly wider at the base.

3. Keep the fine details sparse

   Add six short bent legs near the thorax and a main vein with a couple of branches in each wing. Use only a little gray near the wing roots.

A small thing to tryCheck that you have four wings before adding veins. Their overall placement matters more than fine wing pattern.