Diana Bullock’s workshop was titled A Bug’s Life. These intricate, complicated insects find themselves in many paintings and are useful to know.
Diana Bullock began by working in black ink to show the outline of the body, legs, wings and many parts to each insect.
Diana created a handout with the bugs we most often meet.
Each bug is unique, a miniature study all by itself.
You can begin a snail using the circular enso symbol.
Colour can be added later to the black ink insects to create vivid bees, fireflies and butterflies.
A ladybug in red, for example, will stand out in a painting.
Use a white ink pen, Diana Bullock advises, to create the white light reflection in the eye of an insect.
Then the artists with help from the handouts began to paint their insects.
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Diana Bullock offered some advice to the bug creators.
Butterflies fascinated several artists.
Dragonflies and snails are insects that entertain artists.
Use a side brush to create wings that are semitransparent.
Ants were another favourite bug.
Diana Bullock returned to show how to use bugs in a composition. Artists were interested in her notebooks where ideas are noted.
When an idea arrives, capture the sketch on a notebook page Diana Bullock advises.
Adding insects to flowers and leaves is a way of improving your paintings with a slight but significant addition.
A ladybug on a leaf makes the leaf much more interesting.
Fireflies bring even more life to the painting.
Artists put their works up on the wall.
This beetle and butterfly could be friends.
A collection of ants, snails, dragonflies and butterflies made an energetic painting.
A ladybug added another dimension to this plant.
These butterflies flew off the page.
Diana Bullock found a lot to admire in the creation of these little creatures.
One slight improvement was to add a white dot for the eyes.
Dragonflies seemed to be looking back at you with this update.
Snails too seemed more alive with just some white for their eyes.
Diana Bullock liked the liveliness of these butterflies.
You can learn more about Diana Bullock in the Resources section.