Sunday, February 21, 2010

Don't Bug me! ~ Sigrid Frensen

I don't feel like painting crocusses and snowdrops now. I wanted to do something colourful yet not a big project.... A friend of mine sugested to make some insects. I never did that before. Not seriously anyway. So I thought I'd try painting some bugs with watercolours. It didn't work out at all. So, instead of throwing it in the bin I saved it with my coloured pencils. Here's my first little bug:

Chrysolina fastuosa

This is Chrysolina fastuosa. In normal English: the Dead Nettle Leaf Beetle. It's a very common beetle in the Netherlands and oh so pretty. It was hard to draw the metalic shine and the little dimples on the shield. I must add that this image is huge compared to the original drawing. The drawing is made realsize (=very small = 1,5 cm = about 0,6") So in this scan it might seem that it has got hairs, in the small drawing it just has little dimples :))

I liked this so much I decided to do another bug today. A bigger one and maybe one of my favourites. Not because it's so beautiful (besides it's hairdo it really isn't that pretty) but because I always look forward to seeing the first in my garden. Always in May.

Cockchafer ~ May Beetle ~ Meikever

It's the May Beetle or Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha). I made mine 3 cm (a bit over 1 inch) tall (they can be a bit bigger though). Not very happy with the texture on the brown shields. It looks too smooth... and it really is not. Never mind.... I had fun and there is a lot more white paper to be filled with creepy crawlers...

11 comments:

  1. OOOh so lovely, the only bugs I have painted into my paintings are ladybugs, cause of their color and bees and dragonflies. But I have photographed a brilliant bronze colored beetle last spring and wondered how to capture that sheen in paint. Since I started bird watching and photographing birds I find all kinds of beauty in the bugs. As an art form they seem to have so much to offer.

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  2. You did a great job on the bugs!!! Love that shiny green beetle!!!

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  3. Great capture, Sigrid!! You have magic colored pencils. I'd love to see you work with them.

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  4. Wow, it IS possible to paint that wonderful iridescent color! These are just beautiful...

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  5. Sigrid, they're just gorgeous! Inspiring. I'm going to have to look hard to find some winter bugs, however. The occasional hatched-out fly is the only one I've seen around lately.

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  6. A great change from plants, Sigrid! Beautiful work!

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  7. Beautiful work, Sigrid. And so small! I love your pencil art. Did you take pictures of these insects?

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  8. Wow! the iridescence and transparency are amazing!

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  9. Thanks peeps! I love the iridescent bug too. I try not too think too much about getting it look so metallic. Just look at the colours I see and maybe more important, keeping the highlights.

    I worked from photos. Most insects are hibernating still. Not sure if I could do this with real beetles. Well, I probably could, as long as they are pinned down ;P

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  10. Lovely bugs! The green one just glows!

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