Butterfly on buddleia blossom

[Mike A]

The cone-shaped flowers of the buddleia are known to attract butterflies in late summer, and I spent an hour one afternoon, photographing several species on a bush in my garden. It tool me a large chunk of yesterday to create this illustration of a Painted Lady (Vanessa Cardui) specimen.

Done mainly in chalk, with the use of "particles" from the Stickies tool to create the grainy effect on the underside of the wing.

Mike

[D Akey]

I bet that was a rare treat seeing all those butterflies coming to your garden. We get some here in California, but I have not planted any such flower. Might do that come Spring. I love watching them. We also have hummingbirds which I also take a great delight in. The sort of colorful sheen they have to them is really a visual delight, like eye candy taking wing.

Out of curiosity, regarding the grainy effect, was there something about the butterfly that suggested that look to you or was it purely an artistic direction to take based on the tools in ArtRage? To me, becasuse of where I've seen that kind of look in the past, it edges the painting into the realm of a drawing or dry medium as opposed to wet -- pencil on a toothy paper or even a stippling effect with a pen. Very cool and all. Just curious about your intention.

With the angle and the scale of the butterfly, I feel like I should hop on as if with a dragon = your chariot awaits, kind of thing. Very fanciful image.

[Mike A]

If you look closely at a butterfly wing, it's actually quite fluffy and soft, and the underside has a very soft, grainy look - as though it's been peppered. Looking around in ArtRage stickies for something to give that effect, I came across the Particles setting. So, I got the size and spread set right after a few tries, and eventually got the effect you see.

Take-off in 20 minutes...