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How to Draw a Water Strider
Draw a water strider in 11 easy steps, about 8 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.
Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: small head.
Step 1: Small head
Near the top, in the middle, draw a small egg lying on its side for the head.
Tip We are looking straight down at the bug on a pond.
Step 2: Two big eyes
On the head draw 2 big egg eyes. Colour a black dot in each, leaving a tiny white shine.
Step 3: Smile and cheeks
Under the eyes draw a wide open smile from eye to eye. Draw a small oval cheek below each eye.
Step 4: Thin feelers
From the top of the head draw a thin feeler up and out to a tiny ball. Do both sides.
Step 5: Thin stick body
From the chin draw a long thin egg hanging straight down, about 3 heads long, pointed at the bottom.
Tip The body is as thin as a stick.
Step 6: Short front legs
Start on the body under the head. Draw a short bent leg out to a ball foot. Do both sides.
Step 7: Long middle legs
From the body draw a very long leg getting thinner, up to a knee, down to a foot. Both sides.
Tip The middle legs are the oars, longer than the whole body.
Step 8: Long back legs
Start low on the body. Draw another long leg out to a knee, then down to a foot. Both sides.
Step 9: Ripples
Around each long-leg foot draw 2 flat ovals, one inside the other.
Tip The rings show the bug standing on top of the water.
Step 10: Blue ripples, pink cheeks
Go over your lines. Leave the eyes white. Colour the ripples sky blue and the cheeks pink.
Step 11: Brown strider
Colour the mouth red. Colour the legs brown, then the head, body and feeler balls dark brown, around the cheeks.
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a water strider, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
