How to Draw a Praying Mantis (Easy Step by Step)
Learn to draw a praying mantis easily with this step-by-step guide. You'll use simple shapes like ovals, circles, and straight lines to create your drawing, perfect for beginners.
- Master drawing a praying mantis with an easy step-by-step approach.
- Utilize basic shapes like ovals, circles, and straight lines for the structure.
- Create a complete praying mantis drawing, even if you're a beginner.
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A praying mantis looks like a tiny alien with big round eyes and front arms held up as if it is thinking hard. This drawing is built from a long oval, a few straight lines, two circles and a leaf shape, so even beginners can finish it.
- Easy
- 12 minutes
- 8 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawing
In this article (7 sections)
How to draw a praying mantis step by step
How to Draw a Praying Mantis · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: Body and neck outline
Draw a long, tilted oval for the body, leaning up to the right like a bean. At the right end, keep going with a curved line that rises up and to the right to start the neck.
Step 3: Neck tube
Add a straight slanted line just inside the neck curve, so the neck looks like a skinny tube. Start it where the body meets the neck and slant it up toward the top right.
Step 4: Head, eyes, and antennae
On top of the neck, draw a small triangle-shaped face with a tiny pointed mouth at the bottom. Add two round eyes joined by a short curve, put a dot in each eye, and finish with two curved antennae.
Step 5: The grabbing arm
Below the head and to the right of the neck, draw a pointed leaf shape for the mantis's arm. Add a curved line inside it, and a second line that makes the claw open like a little pair of scissors.
Step 6: Four skinny legs
Draw four long, thin lines for legs that start under the body and slant down. Leave small gaps between them. The two on the left lean left and the two on the right lean right.
Step 7: The wing line
Inside the big oval, draw one long straight line that runs from the left end toward the neck. It shows where the wing folds on the mantis's back.
Step 8: The leafy ground
Under the legs, draw a wide, flat oval with pointed ends, like a long leaf. The mantis stands on it, so let the leg tips touch the top.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your praying mantis? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a fox or how to draw a hedgehog next.
Tips for drawing a praying mantis
- Draw the body oval first and lean it to the right. The neck follows that slant, so a nicely tilted oval makes the rest easier.
- The two eyes are the trickiest part. Draw one circle, then match it with a second circle about the same size right beside it.
- Draw the four legs one at a time from the body down. Wobbly lines still look like real insect legs.
Free praying mantis coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this praying mantis coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your praying mantis drawing
Color the mantis in leaf greens, with a lighter green for the long wing line and black dots for the eyes. For a twist, color the leafy ground bright green with a pink flower on it, or give the mantis rainbow stripes.
Praying mantis fun fact for kids
A praying mantis can turn its head about 180 degrees, so it can look over its shoulder without moving its body.
Questions about drawing a praying mantis
What shapes do I need to draw a praying mantis?
You need a long oval for the body, two circles for the eyes, a small triangle for the face, and a leaf shape for the arm. The legs, neck and antennae are just thin lines and curves.
How do I make my praying mantis look cuter?
Make the eyes extra big and put the dots a little off to one side so it seems to be looking at something. Keep the arm claw small and the legs thin.
Why does a praying mantis hold its arms up?
It holds its front arms folded and ready to snatch insects that come close. The folded pose looks like praying, which is how it got its name.
