Drawing and Painting Insects

Book excerpt: A beautiful guide for botanical artists, natural historians, wildlife artists, and biologists Whatever an artist's experience, whether new to the subject or a seasoned entomologist, this book can help them capture the beauty of insects by helping them understand their structure and appreciate their behavior, movement, color, and habitat. It offers advice on finding insects to draw and paint, including how to raise one's own insect models. It also offers a guide to the anatomy and life cycles of the insect. Step-by-step demonstrations of drawings illustrate perspective, tonal values, and mark-making techniques. Examples of watercolor and oil paintings are given, representing insects in precise, scientific renditions as well as more creative interpretations. Other uses of insect illustration are discussed, including printmaking, sculpture, leather, and glass. The book is superbly illustrated by more than 500 examples and insights from leading artists.