Step 1

I still have trouble drawing on screen. There is nothing wrong with it if you can do it but I like to rough out an idea on paper and then scan or take a photo of the basic idea using that as a reference.

Step 2

After you have imported the image select the Ellipse tool or press the U key and make a circle for the body. This will be the most bottom layer above the layer that is being traced.

Step 3

Not that this is not a scientific drawing but a lady bug body isn’t perfectly round so to give it some identity I used my Direct Selection Tool (A) to click the path of the circle and this revealed the anchor point with the various handle bars. I could then stretch them to reshape the bottom of the bug.

In addition I clicked on layers style icon at the bottom of the layers palette to bring up the gradient overlay. I thought a dark brown to black radial blend would give it an illusion of depth by giving it a slight shadow under the area where the wings will be.

Step 4

Next I selected the pen tool and made sure that a new shape layer was selected versus the paths. Then I traced the outline of the drawing for the first wing noting that one wing would overlap the other. After creating the initial curves I can then click on each anchor point and adjust the curve by rotating the control bars associated with the anchor points as mentioned in step three.

Step 5

I can now apply a layer FX by selecting a slight inner shadow where the wing curves and a drop shadow where the wing rests on the body.

Step 6

Draw the second wing the same as above and then position it underneath the left wing so that one shadow appears to overlap the other.

Step 7

I traced the shape of one foot with the pen tool and then duplicated and stretched each foot by hitting the transform tool to match the drawing. This will make 6 duplicate layers so it’s best to group them all in one folder called foot by clicking the folder icon at the bottom of the layers pallet.

Step 8

I created each angle of the leg by using the line tool in the shape block of the tool box. I could have joined each segment into one but I like to keep each section editable. Again I grouped these layers together as well.

Step 9

Using the ellipse too I matched the head shape and put it on the layer below the wing. I added a gray to black gradient overlay to the face so the smile would show and add a suggestion that light is coming up from the white ground below.

Step 10

Make a circle for the eye and fill with gray and a stroke of black. This will be the outer part of the eye.

Step 11

Add a white circle slightly smaller and move it up so the outline is thicker on the bottom than on the top.

Add a small dot for the pupil.

Step 12

Duplicate layer with the outlined eye and shrink (transform) it a little to make it look like it’s further away and move the layer order to below the head.

Step 13

Add more circles for the dots on the bug with the elipse tool.

For the dot that goes over the right edge I made a selection of the right wing and inverted the selection. Then applied it as a layer mask to visually cut off the edge of the dot. It’s still there if you get rid of the layer mask but hidden from view.

Step 14

Lastly a little shine suggestion with a shape of white at 50% transparency on top layer.

The curly antenna was drawn with the pen tool as a path and then stroked as a path.