Satisfying and mindful, drawing is a great pastime. Have a go at our step-by-step sketch and you could win prizes
With plenty of warm, cosy evenings ahead, it’s natural to want to turn to cherished hobbies to see you through the hibernation months, or perhaps you fancy trying your hand at something new. If you’ve been inspired to give drawing a go, or would simply like to improve your skills, then scroll down for a step-by-step guide on how to sketch a bumblebee, created by our friends at Derwent.
Remember, there’s no expectation to produce any artistic masterpieces, this is simply an exercise in putting coloured pencil – or whatever materials you have to hand – to paper and giving it a go.
You may be surprised with the outcome, or you might find that it’s the ideal way to fill a quiet afternoon with something mindful and creative.
If find you are inspired by sketching and would like to share your bumblebee drawing when it’s finished, then Derwent are offering incredible art prizes for their favourites.
Simply upload your artwork or send in your original drawing* and you could win Derwent art products, including the new Drawing Pencils 72 tin, featuring pencils with a beautifully soft core and nature inspired colours – including 48 brand new shades. Great for keeping you creative over winter.
For more info, visit: derwentart.com or follow on Insta: @derwentartofficial
What you could win
First Prize: Drawing pencils 72 tin; Inktense pencils 72 tin; Sketching & drawing A3 paper pad; Pencil wrap; Battery-operated eraser; Twin hole sharpener; Derwent push button waterbrush assorted set – worth £450
Second prize: Drawing pencils 72 tin; Graphic pencils 24 tin; Sketching & drawing A3 paper pad; Battery-operated eraser; Twin hole sharpener – worth £270
Third prize: Drawing pencils 72 tin; Sketching & drawing A4 paper pad, Twin hole sharpener – worth £205
How to draw a bumblebee
You will need:
Paper
Coloured pencils – we used Derwent Drawing pencils in shades Mist, Sunflower, Apricot, Sepia Red
and Ivory Black
1 Using the template above, lightly sketch the outline of your bumblebee. Using a gentle circular motion, lay down a light base layer of grey (Mist) on the wings and bottom.
2 Next, use yellow (Sunflower) to fill in the stripes and edges of the legs. Overlap the yellow onto the grey at the bottom, and where the yellow meets the edges of the body. Create a fluffy look by moving your pencil from the inside to the outside in flicking motions. Add a few strokes of yellow to the wings where they overlap the body to suggest transparency.
3 Add flicks of orange (Apricot) and red (Sepia Red) along the edges of the yellow where it’ll meet the black stripes to give the appearance of fur. You can overlap into where the black will be to give an extra fluffy look.
4 Cover the remaining body and legs in grey, using a circular motion to give an even layer. Then add flicks at the edges of the body for a fluffy look. This creates a stronger, deeper tone when you add the black and helps to lessen the white of the paper beneath.
5 Using black (Ivory Black), add flick motions on top of the grey for the fur. If you’re nervous, start off gently, then apply stronger pressure as you get into your stride. You could leave a few lighter areas showing the grey to give the impression of sunlight catching the fur.
6 With a freshly-sharpened black pencil, draw in the antennas and lightly outline the wings and add
in veins. You can retrace over these veins to give a darker tone. You could also try adding a few strokes along the edges of the veins to add a little shading.
7 Share your sketch (see How to Enter, below, and you could win one of the art prizes above.
How to enter
For your chance to win Derwent art materials, upload a copy of your drawing by clicking the button below by the closing date of 7 January 2026. Alternatively, you can post physical artwork* to:
FAO Derwent, Millennium House, 65 Walton Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP21 7QG.
Terms & conditions
The competition closes at 11.59pm on 7 January 2026. One winner and two runners up will be selected from all entries received and notified soon after. *All postal entries will become the property
of Derwent upon receipt and will not be returned. Subject to availability. The winners cannot transfer the prizes or swap them for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.