Back wings wider than front wings, all four laid flatGray, pale green, black. Make each back wing a little wider than the front one beside it.
Clear wings, each with one amber patch near the tipAmber, white, black. Leave the wings pale and drop one amber patch near each tip.
Damp-paper wings, turquoise bleeding into violetTurquoise, violet. Wet each wing with clean water and touch one color at the base and one at the tip.
Fine white wing veins drawn on a black groundBlack, white. Start on black and draw each wing as an outline filled with fine white veins.
Folded-paper wings: paint one pair, press to print the otherBlue, green, black. Paint two wings on one half of the paper, fold it shut and press.
Four watery wings with veins drawn in after they dryPale blue, lilac, black. Wash each wing in watery color, let it dry and draw the veins with a liner brush.
Hovering dragonfly, its wings scrubbed into soft fansTeal, gray, white. Scrub each wing into a soft fan with a nearly dry brush.
Morning wing sparkling with a row of tiny water beadsPale blue, white, gray. Dot each bead gray and add a smaller white dot inside it.
Single wing enlarged until its vein mesh fills the canvasAqua, white, charcoal. Draw long veins from the base first, then cross them with short ones to make cells.
Wing veins traced in metallic silver over tealTeal, silver, black. Paint the wings flat teal and draw the veins in silver once it is dry.
Wings catching the sun, a dab of gold at each tipGold, pale yellow, brown. Glaze watery yellow over the dry wings and touch gold on each tip.
Wings left as bare paper inside a navy washNavy, white. Paint the navy around four wing shapes and leave the wings white.
On reeds and lilies 12
Bulrush heads at dusk, one dragonfly dark against peachPeach, brown, black. Blend the sky, then paint the rushes in brown and the dragonfly in black.
Dragonfly balanced on the point of a closed lotus budPink, green, red, white. Paint the bud as a pink teardrop and balance the dragonfly on its point.
Dragonfly clinging under a drooping reed leafGreen, gray, turquoise, white. Curve the leaf over like an awning and tuck the dragonfly beneath it.
Frog on its pad, eyes following a dragonfly's dotted loopGreen, yellow, blue, white. Paint a dotted loop for the flight path above the frog.
Green dragonfly sunning on a flat stone beside the pondGreen, gray, tan, white. Paint the stone as a gray oval and lay the dragonfly flat on it.
Lily pad from above with a dragonfly across its notchGreen, yellow green, blue, black. Paint a round pad with one wedge cut out and rest the dragonfly across the gap.
One white lily, one blue dragonfly, a plain green groundWhite, blue, green. Paint the ground flat green and keep both shapes simple.
Open pink lily flower, a dragonfly perched on its rimPink, white, green, blue. Paint the lily as a cup of pointed petals and keep the dragonfly small.
Red dragonfly gripping a bent reed, wings levelRed, green, tan, pale blue. Bend the reed with one stroke and set the wings level across it.
Reed bed in silhouette, dragonflies as small crossesOrange, yellow, black. Blend the sky and dot the dragonflies as small black crosses above the reeds.
Trio of dragonflies, each topping a reed of another heightOlive, teal, orange, cream. Stagger the reeds and put one dragonfly at the top of each.
Yellow iris by a pond with a blue dragonfly beside itYellow, green, blue, violet. Paint the iris tall and place the dragonfly level with the flower.
Over water 12
Dragonfly above a path of stepping stones in a streamGray, blue, green, orange. Paint five flat stones in a curve and the dragonfly over the middle one.
Dragonfly above a pond drawn as a few blue ripplesBlue, pale blue, black, white. Paint three wavy bands for water and the dragonfly above them.
Dragonfly and its shadow on a sandy stream bedTan, brown, blue, gray. Paint the shadow as a soft gray copy, offset to one side.
Dragonfly darting through mist at the foot of a small fallWhite, gray, green, red. Scrub watery white mist upward and place the red dragonfly in front of it.
Dragonfly dipping its tail to the surface, rings spreadingGreen, blue, white. Curve the tail down until it touches the water and ring the spot twice.
Dragonfly hovering above its own blurred doubleBlue, green, white. Repeat the dragonfly upside down below it and drag a damp brush across the copy.
Dragonfly passing over an orange fish in clear waterOrange, teal, white, black. Paint the fish soft under the surface and the dragonfly crisp above it.
Dragonfly skimming a pond, one ripple ring below its tailTurquoise, white, black, green. Paint the dragonfly low and one white ring on the water under its tail.
Moonlit pond, a dragonfly crossing the white moon pathNavy, white, black. Paint a column of white dashes on the water and the dragonfly dark across it.
Shower-pocked pond, a dragonfly dry beneath a broad leafGray, green, white, blue. Paint the rain rings first and tuck the dragonfly under one broad leaf.
Sun sparkles on a river behind one large dragonflyNavy, white, yellow, teal. Dot white sparkles with a cotton swab and paint the dragonfly large over them.
Swarm over a lake at sunset, each one a gold dashOrange, violet, gold, black. Blend the sky and water, then dot gold dashes in a loose cloud.
Stamped and printed 12
Border of stamped dragonflies along a card edgeAny three bright colors, black. Stamp bodies with the edge of a card strip and add wings with a cotton swab.
Card-edge dragonfly printed entirely in black linesBlack, pale green. Dip the edge of a card strip in paint and print the body and all four wings as lines.
Fork-printed wings fanning from a brushed bodyAqua, black. Dip the back of a fork in paint and press it outward four times.
Gift wrap sheet covered in one repeated dragonfly stampRed, orange, yellow. Stamp the same sponge shape in rows, turning it a little each time.
Lace-printed wings sponged through a paper doilyWhite, navy. Lay a piece of doily on a navy ground and sponge white through it for each wing.
Leaf-print wings: four small leaves pressed around a bodyGreen, blue, black. Brush paint on the vein side of four small leaves and press them out from a painted body.
Monoprint dragonfly lifted from a painted plateTeal, black. Paint the dragonfly on a smooth plate, press paper onto it and peel the print.
Pencil-eraser dots printed nose to tail for a bodyTeal, purple, white. Stamp a line of eraser dots for the body and brush four pale wings beside it.
Stencil dragonfly sponged in a fade of two colorsBlue, green, white. Cut a dragonfly-shaped hole in card and sponge through it, changing color halfway.
String-pull wings from painted string in folded paperViolet, turquoise. Lay painted string in a loop inside folded paper and pull it out for each wing.
Two pairs of wings from a sponge trimmed to a long petalLilac, pink, black. Cut a sponge into a long oval and stamp two pairs of wings beside a brushed body.
Wings printed by pressing a painted feather four timesPale blue, navy. Brush a feather with paint and press it once for each wing.
Pattern and color studies 12
Black dragonfly on three watercolors run togetherPink, yellow, turquoise, black. Let three washes run together, dry them and paint the dragonfly in black on top.
Dragonfly built entirely of swab dots on blackBlack, turquoise, lime, white. Dot the outline first with a cotton swab, then fill inward with smaller dots.
Dragonfly eyes close up, two domes of tiny facetsGreen, teal, black, white. Paint two domes and stipple them with small dots for the facets.
Four dragonflies in a pinwheel, tails meeting at the centerPurple, teal, pink, white. Paint four dragonflies with their tails meeting in the middle, like a pinwheel.
Game-board tiles: dragonfly, blank, dragonflyLilac, white, purple. Rule the canvas into squares and paint a dragonfly in every other one.
Metallic study: body in blended teal, green and goldTeal, green, gold, black. Blend the three along the body while wet so it shifts like metal.
Rainbow dragonfly, its tail beads running red to purpleRed, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. Paint the body as a row of beads in rainbow order and keep the wings pale.
Six-mark dragonfly: a line, a dot and four long petalsBlue, black, white. Paint one line for the body, a dot for the head and four ovals for wings.
Tangerine dragonfly against plain cobaltOrange, cobalt blue, white. Paint the ground blue and the whole dragonfly in orange so it stands out.
Three dragonflies in three sizes, each a paler blueBlue, white. Paint the largest in full blue and mix in more white for each smaller one.
Wings filled with small patterns: dots, stripes, scalesBlack, white, aqua. Outline the wings and fill each with a different small pattern.
Wreath of twelve dragonflies mixed from three tubesRed, yellow, blue, white. Mix twelve colors from the three and paint one small dragonfly in each.
How it works
A dragonfly is a long body, two huge eyes and two pairs of clear wings, and at rest most kinds hold those wings out flat. On paper that is a cross, which is why it is so quick to paint.
Read the full guide
Acrylic dragonfly painting ideas: body first, wings last
Paint the body as a row of small beads, widest at the front and finest at the tail. Let it dry, then add the wings in paint watered down until it is nearly clear; diluted acrylic handles like a wash. Four watery wings with veins drawn in after they dry paints the wings that way.
Why the body shines
Many dragonflies have brilliant metallic colors. To suggest them, blend two neighbors, such as teal and green, along the body while both are wet and touch gold on top. Metallic study: body in blended teal, green and gold is the exercise.
The easy ones sit under More filters, Level: 21 dragonflies from simple shapes, prints and silhouettes.
Questions and answers
Which dragonfly canvas painting ideas suit a beginner?
Six-mark dragonfly: a line, a dot and four long petals takes three colors, and Dragonfly above a pond drawn as a few blue ripples adds the simplest water there is. Both use flat color with no blending.
How do you paint dragonfly wings so they look clear?
Use very little paint. Wash each wing in watery color so the ground shows through, let it dry, and draw the veins on top with a liner brush. A darker ground makes pale wings stand out.
What is the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly?
At rest most dragonflies hold their wings flat and out to the sides, while damselflies fold theirs along or above the body. Damselflies are also lighter in build. No picture here folds the wings.
Can a class print dragonflies instead of painting them?
Yes. Stamped and printed is 12 ways to do it, with leaves, a fork, a feather, a sponge cut to an oval or a paper doily. Leaf-print wings: four small leaves pressed around a body needs no drawing at all.