Insects in Art & Illustration (1 Viewer)

Gretchen · Jul 13, 2011

Just to add that traditional Chinese "Bird and Flower" paintings sometimes feature insects quite prominently (the category being more like "items in nature" rather than meaning that the subjects are only birds and/or flowers) A few examples here and here.

Seems like I remember an earlier discussion of this in the Art Forum, but can't remember where... Anyway, lots of interesting insects on this thread so far, and many others in the forum that haven't been posted here yet.

Bees in Art · Jul 13, 2011

Thanks for everyone's contributions: I'm enjoying them immensely. I will get round to replying to everyone individually. I'm having to implement a decent filing system so that I can keep a record of everyone and their work. It's not easy with pictures.

I did this warm up sheet of red admirals yesterday before the sun went in. I call it drawing without fear of failure: there's nothing to loose, it's just a warm up. As I need to demonstrate how images progress from sketches to 'finished' sketches or finished work back in the studio. The next sheet will be in earnest, but the attempt will be to keep the lack of fear. But I quite liked this sheet for its abstract qualities.

I've got a mercury vapour kit coming in the post, so that I can set up a skinner trap - very excited about drawing moths now. I'm going to set up a white sheet as well as leaving the trap out all night.

Andrew

Woody · Jul 13, 2011

Ooh I like that!

David measures works in a similar way I think. Have to say my favourite insect artist is Richard Tratt, his work always seems to have the heat and atmosphere of summer. http://www.swla.co.uk/SWLAmembers/trattr/TrattR.htm

Mike

Strandman · Jul 13, 2011

Woody said:
Ooh I like that!

David measures works in a similar way I think. Have to say my favourite insect artist is Richard Tratt, his work always seems to have the heat and atmosphere of summer. http://www.swla.co.uk/SWLAmembers/trattr/TrattR.htm

Mike

that's a really exciting sheet of sketches

while we are on faves, I am a great fan of Dan Powell's dragonflies for combining accuracy and spontaneity into the same image- except that when published the colours never seem that zingy

some insect pics gathered here I might add

http://www.thelandgallery.com/secondryhomepage/secondaryhomepage/insects_in_art.html

mattybohan · Jul 13, 2011

Lots of great art popping up on this thread... I love painting and drawing insects. I have a lot on my thread mostly damsels and dragonflies. I'll attach one here too.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=93185

My blog has some step by steps through the creation of some damsel and dragonfly paintings.

solitaryVSong · Jul 13, 2011

nickderry said:
some illustrations

I was impressed with at least some of these the first time you showed them and I'm just as impressed if not more so. That beetle(Japanese Beetle?), is just great against the white flowers.

solitaryVSong · Jul 13, 2011

Gretchen said:
Just to add that traditional Chinese "Bird and Flower" paintings sometimes feature insects quite prominently (the category being more like "items in nature" rather than meaning that the subjects are only birds and/or flowers) A few examples here and here.

Seems like I remember an earlier discussion of this in the Art Forum, but can't remember where... Anyway, lots of interesting insects on this thread so far, and many others in the forum that haven't been posted here yet.

Particularly like that second example Gretchen.

username · Jul 13, 2011

solitaryVSong said:
Particularly like that second example Gretchen.

I was just going to say that...! Exquisite picture....

solitaryVSong · Aug 8, 2011

Whilst sketching House Sparrows at the feeder on my studio window I just heard something on the radio about this local artist and grasshopper expert http://www.ansp.org/museum/art-in-science.php and his show at the Academy of Natural Sciences here in Philadelphia. I thought it might be of interest.

Strandman · Aug 9, 2011

some left-field insect art currently on show up the road from me in Norwich

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...ystal-and-company-norwich-castle-2313872.html

that idea of the caddis working in gold for the artist

human-centric view of nature being out there showing itself off for us to paint and enjoy

not quite how I see it, but rather thought provoking..

Nature__lover · Aug 9, 2011

absolutely beautiful artwork on this thread. I would love to see more insect paintings and drawings on this forum.
Finished this today- Common darter dragonfly.

not sure if this is of any use to you!

Bees in Art · Aug 11, 2011

Thanks everyone for your replies - I'm thrilled to see such good insect art being produced. I'm following all the links provided and have/will be contacting some of the artists concerned.

Ed thanks for the caddis fly jewell work - One of those ideas that I wish I'd had 20 years ago when I was studying Fine Art, but it'll possibly be difficult to build upon. It's not the same as developing drawing skills, which will serve an artist well till the day they die.

Thanks for the darter Nature_lover, do you have anymore to show us?

One of my stick insect nymphs - pencil on paper.

Andrew

ps. I had a terrible shock yesterday. Our one year old whippet had got hold of my stick insect eggs in a revenge attack (we'd left him in whilst we went out!), and scattered them all over the floor. He'd even enjoyed crunching a few up. Lost a couple of the leaf insect eggs too.

Strandman · Aug 11, 2011

Bees in Art said:
our whippet had got hold of my stick insect eggs

that scene must be worth a drawing in its own right (but commiserations!)

Bees in Art · Aug 11, 2011

ed keeble said:
that scene must be worth a drawing in its own right (but commiserations!)

ha ha, it was upsetting. He even had hold of my big wash brush that I've had since about 1989. Luckily he'd only given it a bit of a chew.

btw. Would anyone be able to introduce me to Daniel Otte - having trouble finding a contact email. I may have to actually write a letter to him, something I've almost lost the ability to do.

solitaryVSong · Aug 11, 2011

Bees in Art said:
btw. Would anyone be able to introduce me to Daniel Otte - having trouble finding a contact email. I may have to actually write a letter to him, something I've almost lost the ability to do.

Andrew,

I've never met Dan. But since I'm a local I did email the HR department at Academy of Natural Sciences here with your request. I've asked them to either contact me or you at your web site. No guarantee of course.

Ken

Nature__lover · Aug 11, 2011

Bees in Art said:
Thanks for the darter Nature_lover, do you have anymore to show us?

Yes as a matter of fact

Just completed this watercolour painting of a male and female common blue damselfly...

(looking at it on the computer, slightly out of focus photo, sorry!)

Nature__lover · Aug 11, 2011

more insects...!
6 spot ladybirds

mcw · Sep 2, 2011

Just caught up with this, so here are a few b/w bits exhumed from the drawers...

Mike

www.michaelcwood.co.uk

mcw · Sep 2, 2011

...and a few coloured offerings. The big composite was a base image for Wicken Fen, before I added all the the digital logos & notes.

Mike

www.michaelcwood.co.uk

mcw · Sep 23, 2011

All quiet in the bug department, but here's one more anyway - a line drawing from years ago for a biodiversity exhibit in Mallorca, the old thing where the size of each organism is proportional to the total number of species of that group in the world...

www.michaelcwood.co.uk

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