How to paint a butterfly picture art lesson and worksheet.
This is a good practice project and skill builder for any young artist or beginner.
A WORD ABOUT PRINTING THE WORKSHEET
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| How to Paint a Picture of a Butterfly on a Flower Worksheet And Art Lesson |
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ART SUPPLY LIST
You can use any watercolor paint. I prefer my small Windsor Newton paint set; it has a nice selection of colors. I also use Grumbacher Paints in the tubes. You can easily find these at any craft store like Lobby Hobby or Michaels. (Look for coupons online.) You can collect lots of paintbrushes, but it is better at the start to keep it simple with a few small, medium, and medium-large brushes and a combination of flats as well as rounded paintbrushes. For these art lessons, I use Strathmore series 300 Watercolor paper. It is economical and available at Michaels and Hobby Lobby and online.
PRINTABLE NOTES.
BEGINNINGS
Trace the design onto 140-pound watercolor paper, this is the heavy paper that will not buckle. If the paper is too thick to trace through place it against a window with the light shining behind it and then you should be able to trace it easily.
BACKGROUND
Wet the paper all around the butterfly and the flower. Be careful to not cross over into the butterfly or the flower. Mix some watery green and "Drop" it into the background in different places. To give the background movement and interest drop into some watery yellows into the green with a clean brush drop in some watery blues into the background. For the darker areas drop in some watery lavender or purple into some places. Let the colors flow and blend and mix in interesting ways. You may need to use a tissue to blot some out or use a brush to help the colors to blend.
LET THE BACKGROUND DRY BEFORE YOU GO ON.
Use light green for the stem and leaves. You can give the leaves and stem more brilliance by going over the background around it with a wash of lavender, purple or violet.
BUTTERFLY WINGS STEP ONE
Use a watery yellow-orange color for the bottom sections of the wing. While it is still wet paint in some orange-red for the top areas. Try not to go into the places set aside for white. Let the paper be the white color there.
WINGS STEP TWO.
Use black and the tip of a small brush to draw the body and black edging of the wings. Be careful to go around the white areas. Go over the body in the same way. After the orange has dried use black to paint in the three dots on the lower wing.
FLOWER STEP ONE
With the tip of a small brush use a light blue-green color and draw details and shadows on the white part of the flower. it should be very light.
FLOWER STEP TWO
With a medium brush use yellow to paint the center of the blossom. While it is still wet use the tip of a small brush and dab orange around the bottom edge of the center.
THE ANTENNA
DO NOT PAINT THE ANTENNA! Instead, use a fine-tipped marker and just draw them in. Mixing media is an acceptable practice and is a sign of a mature artist.
Sign your work about an inch up from the bottom that way there is room for the frame.
(c) Adron Dozat 5/17/19
