Rhinos and StagsJust last year my mom asked me to paint some creatures I’d never painted before: bee
Rhinos and StagsJust last year my mom asked me to paint some creatures I’d never painted before: beetles! And that is a broad statement because the largest part of all currently described species (including plants, fungi, bacteria) is beetles. They constitute 25% of all animals and while as of yet some 400 thousand species are described, estimates of the total number range from 0.9 to 2.1 million. When an entomologist named Terry Erwin went to Panama and surveyed the beetle species living on one type of tree, he found more than 955 species on just 19 trees. Basically: the concept of beetle was a pretty good idea (evolutionary speaking) and they have their numbers to show for it.Anyway, back to the paintings. They are small pieces of watercolour + fineliner, just like these and these, amongst some others. Up first were the rhinos: the brown European rhinoceros beetle is one I am familiar with from Mediterranean vacations. The yellow Eastern Hercules beetle might be known to some of my USA friends. Very pretty with those spots, and surprisingly cute eyes. Then followed the stags. Foolishly, I thought there was just one stag beetle: the standard European one. I was quickly corrected by Wikipedia who told me there were more than 1200. After much debate we finally settled on the lovely Cyclommatus montanellus (no common name, as far as I know) who has a lovely green sheen on his head and jaws.I hope you’ll enjoy, these were certainly a lot of fun to paint! -- source link
#paintings#rhinoceros beetle#oryctes nasicornis#dynastes tityus#stag beetle#lucanus cervus#cyclommatus montanellus#insect#beetle#traditional art