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Butterfly Tutorial
Published: 2013-01-15 09:20:21 +0000 UTC; Views: 55682; Favourites: 1412; Downloads: 749
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Description
Hit the download button if you want to see the full size!This is the promised butterfly tutorial, and it is strictly a butterfly tutorial, you won't find anything about painting knotworks or gems here. But if you're interested in this, I have another tutorial that deals with these subjects: [link]
Also, the finished painting can be found here:
[link]
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Comments: 74
Well it is a pretty watercolor specific technique, but you can always give it a go... if you do, please link me the result, I'd love to see it!
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Thank you so much for sharing your expertise! This is a superb tutorial.
I'm wondering how you got the lines of the support veins to show so well. Did you do separate washes around the veins, mask them, or go over them with the right color? On the top two wings, the veins stand out lighter than the rest of the wing, while on the bottom two, the veins appear quite dark though the light area. If you simply followed your pencil lines with the brush to darken those veins, that is very delicate work!
Thank you again!
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Everything is described in the tutorial - probably much better than I could explain it now... (as I painted the picture 2 years ago). I'm afraid there's no special trick to it, though. Just a lot of patience and painting with small brushes...
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Wow! very beautiful
Thank you very much for the tutorial.
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I see.. ah thanks very much. Drawing butterfly is fun now
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wow this is a beautiful tutorial - thank you so much for sharing it with us!
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Thank you for your kind words!
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You're welcome! I actually try to avoid gouache, the white paper works much better, but sometimes it works as my last save
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Yeah! I don't like the cheap school gouache but once I got gouache for artists I love it and especially their pearly white ^^ but did not used it with my watercolors still. I was thought about a white ink but we have a poor one in the local art store, it's very transparent. So YAY for white gouache
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I do have good(ish) gouache from Winsor&Newton ... still, for me, nothing beats the white of the paper. Different methods work for different people, though, and I'm glad you've found my tip helpful
Btw. if you have a chance to order art supplies online, you can find there a much bigger selection than in local art stores (from my experience). Only postage can be in issue, since it can get pretty expensive...
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I'll be sure to try these tips soon in my next watercolor~
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This is fantastic. Admittedly my watercolor skills are nowhere near the levels needed to try it, but the shaping and coloring is helpful in general, and looking at the different parts. I'm pondering how to work it into wire work
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Thank you! Your wiring is very pretty, I like the little trees in circles - firstly because I love trees, secondly because I find it very original, I've never seen wire-wrapping used like this. Shame my money is a bit low right now, as I would love to get one 
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Many thanks! I love making the trees, since they don't have to be perfectly symetrically they're a more relaxing project (except for when the foliage tries to escape)
I have fossils that are called butterfly shells, I'm hoping to eventually make them into butterflies!
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Thank you. When I try to draw butterflies or butterfly wings, I usually go for the Monarch Butterfly. I can get the shape down just fine, but the vein like patterns...I can never get right. Maybe in the future you could do a tutorial for the vein-like patterns?
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You're welcome.
I'm afraid no tutorial would help with the patterns - the key in getting them right is precision, which is acquired with practise - at least this worked for me. I didn't get anything right with my first butterflies
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You are welcome. No tutorial for the vein like patterns? 
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Because if it were easy, everyone would be doing it
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Thanks. I needed this. The quality of my butterflies stink.
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Thank you very much for your kind words
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Not at all , you have done a realy good job and i enjoy it ! Allways welcome !
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Thank you! The butterfly I created in one of my pieces took more time than the actual portrait that it's in! This should definitely help me next time!
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I have a feeling that my art will improve with my following your work
What do you mean when you say "mask" in the tutorial, and how do you do it? I've used masking fluid before, but personally I can't stand the smell or the dried result..
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I mean exactly that - masking fluid. I use the masking fluid from Schmincke - it doesn't contain ammonia, so it doesn't smell so bad, plus it can be easily diluted with water, which makes the process of masking much easier.
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I don't think I'll be drawing a butterfly anytime soon, but your tutorial was such a pleasure to read and to look at! Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you for your kind words!
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Sensational work of art 
Congratulations on your DD
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Hmm... Interesting method. I'll have to try this sometime. Thanks!
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I love butterflies but have never been really happy with the results when I paint them. Looking through your tutorial I think I can already see some places where I'm going wrong. Thanks for sharing this it is really useful and I enjoyed reading from beginning to end
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Glad you've found it useful - good luck with your next butterfly painting
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