How To Draw Cupid

The idea of Cupid is such a fun and romantic concept! In mythology, he's this little guy with wings who zaps people with arrows to make them fall in love. It's all very whimsical and light-hearted. Honestly, I think the idea of Cupid represents something deeper, that spark of connection we feel when we meet someone special. In real life, love might not come from a tiny winged figure, but it does feel like magic sometimes. There’s that moment when you catch someone's eye across the room, or when a random conversation turns into something meaningful. Those moments are what I think of as modern-day Cupid encounters. Romantic relationships can be wild. They have ups and downs, and it's not always smooth sailing. What makes love interesting is that it’s unpredictable and different for everyone. People often try to chase that 'love at first sight' feeling, but reality shows that love grows over time. It evolves as you learn about each other, share experiences, and support one another. In literature and movies, love is often portrayed in a dramatic fashion, thanks to characters like Romeo and Juliet or the playful dynamics in 'Friends'. These stories highlight how captivating love can be, even if it’s not always perfect. It amplifies the idea that love might just be something we create together rather than just a single moment of infatuation. So, is Cupid real? I think he’s more a metaphor for those feelings that sweep you off your feet. It’s not just about passion or attraction; it’s about connection, understanding, and companionship. Love involves effort, patience, and sometimes compromise, making it all the more special. At the end of the day, whether or not Cupid actually zaps you, when you find someone with whom you share a genuine bond, that’s the real deal. It doesn’t have to be mystical to be meaningful. Enjoying those moments and cultivating a deep relationship with someone is what makes the idea of Cupid resonate in our hearts. It’s about cherishing the journey together and creating your own love story, complete with laughter and maybe even a few heartaches.

In Classical Mythology, Cupid is depicted as a male entity. Known as Eros in Greek Mythology, he's the son of Venus (Aphrodite in Greek), the goddess of love. He carries a bow and arrow and anyone struck by his arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire.

I always start off with a light pencil sketch for the basics, focusing mainly on placements and proportions. From a light bulb shape for the head to straight lines for the orientation of the shoulders, this allows me to build a solid base before diving into the details. Then, I like to add more body features using softer strokes and slowly erase the initial sketch, making necessary corrections along the way. Only then do I start rendering detailed facial expressions and hair, quickly using an eraser or white gel pens for highlights. And finally, for the outfit, I whip up something inspired by my favorite anime characters! Just remember, practice makes perfect. So even if it doesn't come out perfect the first time, keep going!

My bookshelf always has a battered copy of 'The Golden Ass' wedged between a fantasy novel and an art history book, and that’s where I first fell head-over-heels for the Cupid and Psyche episode. The tale appears in Book IV of Apuleius’s 'The Golden Ass' (also called 'Metamorphoses'), written in the second century CE by a Roman author from North Africa. Apuleius frames the story as a novella within his larger, bawdy, magical narrative: Psyche, a mortal of extraordinary beauty, draws the envy of Venus and the desire of Cupid; through trials, trickery, and eventual divine intervention she becomes immortal and unites with Cupid. That core plot—forbidden intimacy, impossible tasks, betrayal by sisters, descent to the underworld—reads like something that sprang straight from folklore. Scholarly debates are part of the fun for me. Some scholars argue Apuleius invented the polished, literary version we know, while many others think he adapted an older oral folktale tradition and wove philosophical and religious themes around it. The story fits the folktale type classified as ATU 425, the “Search for the Lost Husband,” which shows up in variants across Europe and beyond (think echoes in 'Beauty and the Beast' and other romances). But Apuleius’s Psyche has added layers: the very name Psyche means 'soul' in Greek, while Cupid (or Amor) stands for desire—so readers since antiquity have read the story allegorically as the soul’s journey through love, suffering, and purification. I also love how syncretic it feels: Hellenistic mythic language, Roman gods, possible hints of mystery-religion initiation rites, and that literary flair only a rhetorically skilled author could give. The image of Psyche’s trials—sorting seeds, fetching water from a high cliff, visiting the underworld—has stuck with artists and writers for centuries, inspiring paintings by the likes of Raphael and writing by later European storytellers. Every time I see a new retelling or a gallery piece, I get a little thrill imagining how that original audience gasped at Psyche’s box and cheered at the gods’ mercy. If you want to dive deeper, read the episode in 'The Golden Ass' but also explore folktale studies on ATU 425 and some modern retellings—the mix of literary invention and folk-magic is what keeps the myth alive for me.

There's something about 'Cupid and Psyche' that always feels both ancient and oddly modern to me. On the surface it's a love story — Cupid (Eros) and Psyche (Soul) — but underneath it's a map of growth: trust versus curiosity, the danger of breaking boundaries, and how trials reshape identity. Psyche's curiosity (lighting the lamp to look at her husband) reads like a coming-of-age moment: the moment you cross a forbidden line and the world rearranges itself. That breach brings punishment, but it also starts her journey of transformation. Another major theme is the idea of tasks and redemption. The gods — especially Venus — set impossible labors that force Psyche to prove herself. To me, those tasks are less about punishment and more like rites of passage: humility, perseverance, dignity in face of humiliation. There’s also a political edge: divine versus mortal power, the way jealousy and vanity (think Venus) can warp love. Psyche’s persistence, aided by nature and small mercies, shows agency in a culture that often sidelines female initiative. Finally, I love how the story reframes marriage and immortality. Love isn’t just emotion; it’s a negotiation between vulnerability and secrecy, an ordeal that culminates in reconciliation and apotheosis. Reading 'Cupid and Psyche' in the context of 'The Golden Ass' makes the transition feel deliberate — a human elevated to the divine. It’s a tale I come back to when I’m thinking about how messy the path to wholeness is, and how curiosity and courage can coexist without simple moralizing.

Learn the basics of drawing if it's not already the case: shape, perspective, colors, volumes, etc... Learn anatomy, it's the structure of the human body and you're going to need this a lot, all the time. (try to draw real humans, see what limbs can do, what posture does work and doesn't, etc...) Learn things such as poses, angles, how bodies interact with each others. Don't worry it's less tedious than it sounds, you basically have to draw things to try to understand them. Finally, don't hesitate to use references when you have a specific idea, it's easier to draw when you see the poses than trying to do it from your mind alone.

To draw a blueberry, start by sketching a simple circle for the main body. Add another smaller circle on the top to create the little crown that blueberries have. After that, shade in the body a bit to give it depth. You can use a blue or purple color, depending on how ripe you want it to look. Don't forget to add some highlights on the side to make it shiny and realistic, like it’s covered in a light sheen of morning dew. Keep it simple, and you’ll have a cute blueberry in no time!

Drawing dreadlocks can be super fun once you get the hang of it. Start by outlining the shape of the head and where you want the dreadlocks to fall. Make thick, wavy lines to represent the hair texture, and remember that dreadlocks bunch together. Add some details like highlights and shadows to give them depth. Practice drawing them from different angles to better understand how they flow and twist. Keep it loose and let your creativity shine!