Speckled Wood Butterfly and Inspiration

Finished watercolour painting of
Speckled Wood Butterfly
http://www.lisatreadwell.co.uk/Painting%20pages/butterflypaintin.html

‘Speckled Wood Butterfly’ and inspiration

Initially it appears dancing lightly around, a papery being that wishes not to be other than a part of the background it inhabits. This is my first impression on spotting a speckled wood butterfly. They are as subtle as the sun dappled hedgerows and woodland they like to inhabit. It is however on closer inspection a more sturdier creature than first crossed my vision, with creamy yellow spotting that sits well on rich brown wings.

I am able to revisit these impressions in my mind and with the photographs I have taken of this butterfly I was able to work out a design that exemplifies this ephemeral being of woodland and hedgerow.

To begin with I make some sketches, small rough thumbnails just to get a feel of where I would like to place things. I wanted to show off the rich creamy speckles contrasted to the deep chocolate browns on the upper surface of the wing and also the subtle range of colouration on those under wings. The photographs had been taken in August and the butterflies where settled on blackberries, the dark colours of which added emphasis to the creamy spots on the butterflies wings. A darkened background would through the butterflies into greater relief.

I was most pleased with this painting once I had finished it and on 24 May this painting was commended in the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year Award 2012. All winning entries can be viewed at: http://www.discoverwildlife.com/gallery/bbc-wildlife-artist-year-2012-winners?utm_source=Responsys&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=NLT_WILD_050712_GE

To find out more about the speckled wood butterfly or other uk butterfly species visit the website of Butterfly Conservation http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/

An initial rough sketch

A rough watercolour sketch

Design layed out on Arches Aquarelle
paper and masked ready to put down
the first section of background

Background applied

Masking removed

Second area of background applied
and painting progressing to final image

 www.lisatreadwell.co.uk