Halloween and Bats Go Together.
Greetings! It is late October and that must mean it is “Moon Goddess” time. Why October? Well, bats are a traditional theme for Halloween and she is a bat. Or rather, a colored pencil drawing inspired by the long nosed and long tongue bats of North America. They are pollinators of agave and cacti plants.
Beauties.
Personally, I think they are beautiful little bats. And, so, since I can’t have one as a pet, I thought the next best thing would be to do a drawing of one.
What To Do When You Can’t Draw From Life.
The problem, as I saw it, was creating my own design and impression of the bats. You see, I am not equipped to go out and photograph these winged animals of the night. Nor do I live in the right place. These bats are not native to Washington state. Furthermore, I did not want to use anyone else’s photograph. It is a copyright issue plus their photograph(s) is their art.
What to do. Well, experiment would be a solution. So, I created my own design using memory and imagination. There are hints of the pollen, which are the bat’s food source. And, the green alludes to the cacti and agave whose flowers attract the bat. Once I was this far along, why not add a moon and stars?
This piece falls in the category of “fun to do” type colored pencil drawing.
For Artists New To Colored Pencil.
Tips for using colored pencil:
- Use artist grade pencils; they are SO much better. Three brands that I like are Faber Castell, Derwent and Prismacolor.
- Keep your pencils sharp. I use an electric pencil sharpener. I resisted getting a good pencil sharpener for awhile. Silly me; they are worth the expense.
- Build the layers using a light, circular stroke.
- If you fall in love with colored pencils, check out the Colored Pencil Society of America.
- Have fun!
I hope you enjoy your Halloween and my “Moon Goddess”.