Watercolour Butterflies: from Sketch to finished Painting

Every painting starts with a small spark of inspiration. It often happens while I’m flipping through the pages of my butterfly books and suddenly one species stands out. Sometimes it’s the colour, the pattern, or the story behind its name that captures my attention. It simply feels like the one I want to paint next. For a long time, this butterfly only existed for me on the page of a book. Then one day, I visited a butterfly garden and saw it in real life, flying right in front of me! Painting it felt like a way to hold on to that moment and turn a special day into something I could keep and remember.

Here it is: the Great Orange Tip butterfly from South Asia.

ABOUT THE SPECIES

Scientific Name: Hebomoia glaucippe

Family: Peiridae

Wingspan: 7-10 cm

Both males and females have distinctive orange patches on the upper edges of their creamy white wings. The underside of the wings, however, tells a different story: the colour is a light brown, and the patterns mimic the surface of a dead leaf when the butterfly is resting on the ground. This remarkable camouflage allows the butterfly to blend seamlessly into its surroundings and avoid the watchful eyes of predators. 

THE PERFECT REFERENCE

Once I’ve chosen the butterfly, the next step is finding the right reference photo.

There are so many resources available now, which is wonderful, but it can also take time to find exactly what I’m looking for. I often browse through sites like Rawpixel and Wikimedia Commons, where many images are free to use and are in the public domain. Platforms like Unsplash, Pexels, Flickr and Pixabay are also helpful, though you need to check the licence for each image, as some might require attribution or have restrictions on commercial use.

One of my favourite resources is Wildlife Reference Photos, as it’s designed with artists in mind. You can use their photos as references for artwork that you sell, exhibit or license. They have a large selection, and the images are very reasonably priced, which helps.

THE SKETCHING

I print the reference, then sketch it out on standard paper first. Once I’m happy with the drawing, I transfer it onto watercolour paper using a light pad. I usually start with the body and one wing, then draw the second wing so both sides feel balanced and as symmetrical as possible.

Fun Fact: This symmetry comes from their shared genetic blueprint and the way their wings develop during metamorphosis. Rare exceptions do exist, such as gynandromorph butterflies, which display both male and female characteristics, but that’s a fascinating story for another time!

THE PAINTING PROCESS

I like to take my time choosing the colours. I test different mixes and see if they work harmoniously on paper without becoming muddy. For this butterfly, I’ve chosen Vandyke Brown, Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Sienna (Winsor & Newton), Aussie Red Gold (Daniel Smith), and one of my favourite greys mixed with French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna.

Before starting the final piece, I often paint a smaller version first. It helps me see how the colours behave and refine my technique. It also gives me a bit more confidence before moving on to the larger painting, and sometimes that small study becomes a finished piece on its own. I start with the wet-on-wet technique, letting the colours flow and blend on the paper. Then I switch to wet-on-dry to build depth and add the finer details that bring the butterfly to life. I usually begin with the wings, then move on to the body.

When painting butterflies with white or transparent wings, I work in very light layers to avoid going too dark too quickly. For this one, instead of painting the veins directly, I used masking fluid to preserve the white of the paper and painted the shadows around them to achieve a softer look. Once the painting is finished, I leave it in the studio for a day or two. When I come back to it, I take a photo and look at it with fresh eyes. That’s usually when I notice small adjustments, maybe another layer in certain areas or a few extra details to bring everything together.

From the first idea to the final brushstrokes, painting a butterfly always feels special to me. It’s not just about the finished piece, but everything that happens along the way. There are moments of doubt and moments when everything suddenly comes together, and both are part of the process. When I look at this painting now, I remember the butterfly garden and the feeling of finally meeting a butterfly I had only ever seen in a book. For me, each painting becomes part of a longer story, shaped by observing nature, trying to capture it on paper, and learning something new every time. And that story never really ends, because I know there’s always another butterfly waiting to be painted next.

MY BUTTERFLY BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

• BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS by David Carter, Published by DK

• THE WORLD ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS by Sally Morgan

• BUTTERFLIES OF THE WORLD by Adrian Hoskins

• BUTTERFLIES OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES INCLUDING NORTHERN OMAN, by Gary R. Feulner, Binish Roobas, Victor Hitchings, Herbert HH Otto, Oscar Campbell, Huw GB Roberts, Richard J. Hornby, Brigitte Howarth