Monarch Butterfly

Art & Illustration

Personal

Independent

January 2023 - March 30, 2023

Pencil and Marker Drawing

Artist / Graphic Designer

Research
Illustration
Color
Solid Black
Shadows
Gradients

To illustrate this visualization, research was first done to study the shapes and proportions of the Monarch butterfly, as well as the details in the patterns and colors of its wings. To avoid producing an illustration that was too perfect, my process included examining different visual examples of the butterfly. On sketch paper, the drawing began with the basic shapes of the butterfly, such as rectangles, triangles, and circles, for its body parts. Which was a necessary step to achieve the foundation and proportions of the illustration. Then, came drawing those shapes together into more complex structures and patterns, to form the butterfly as a whole. Once the illustration itself was finished, it was on to the colors. Starting with a solid black marker to outline and fill in the majority of the positive space. The edges became realistically bumpy, while the patterns and spots on the wings became the negative space remaining. After erasing the sketch’s graphite from the paper, the way was clear for colors to be applied by pencils. And so, the wing patterns and some of the spots were filled in. Those areas were covered by orange, which appeared a little too dark, and not so vibrant. So, yellow was blended in to provide some subtle vibrancy and brightness. My last step was to add some color gradient and shadow between different areas of the butterfly, using a black color pencil. The amount of pressure applied was a contributing factor to this, allowing me to give it some natural beauty and depth.

“That’s beautiful.” Father