Search Results for: peacock

Galleries

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  Peacock mantis shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus woth details of Dactyl club

  Peacock mantis shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus woth details of Dactyl club anatomy and composition Illustration from “30 Animals that made us smarter” by Patrick Ayree (BBC Books).
  Invertebrate / Crustacean / Crabs and lobsters
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  Peacock mantis shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus

  Peacock mantis shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus with dactyl club tucked in under thorax. Illustration from “30 Animals that made us smarter” by Patrick Ayree (BBC Books).
  Invertebrate / Crustacean / Crabs and lobsters
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  Pond in a water meadow landscape with plants and animals

  Woodstock water meadow view with wildlife pond in foreground; seen with otter, kingfisher, and Peacock butterfly
  Composites and Landscape Habitats
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  Peacock butterfly Aglais io lifecycle

  Peacock butterfly Aglais io lifecycle with host plant nettle Urtica dioica
  Invertebrate
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  Peacock butterfly Aglais io

  Peacock butterfly Aglais io cut to white
  Invertebrate
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  Meadow in summer with butterflies

  Meadow in summer with red kite circling, green woodpecker feeding from distant ant hills, goldfinch on teasels, and a peacock butterfly on a knapweed bloom with a Painted lady on hawkbit. A family cycle past behind.
  Composites and Landscape Habitats
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  Peacock pavo

  Peacock pavo pair with male tail on display, disintersted peahen passing by in front of him
  Bird

Blog

Patterns in Nature: A quick overview

Posted on 8th September 20239th October 2023 in Patterns in nature

Introducing patterns One of the things in nature which is worth taking a really close look at is pattern.  Spots, stripes and splotches decorate loads of living things; from beetles to reef fish, snakes to zebras, orchids to sunflower seeds. Peacock Pavo pair with male tail on display They have always amazed and delighted me, […] Read more

The Hidden Universe: Pen and Ink Illustrations

Posted on 22nd April 2022 in Current projects and news

The Hidden Universe by Alexandre Antonelli is a short and powerful book.  I was asked to provide pen and ink illustrations, and had the absolute luxury of reading the whole book before lifting a pencil.  This may not sound unusual to you, but in all the years I’ve been illustrating books, it’s only the fourth […] Read more

Illustrations for “30 animals that made us smarter”

Posted on 27th August 202127th August 2021 in Current projects and news

A recent commission saw me completing pen and ink illustrations for “30 animals that made us smarter” by Patrick Aryee.  This fabulous book is based on the BBC World service podcast, and focuses on biomimicry. Biomimicry is when us humans investigate the marvels of nature, and learn and innovate from these discoveries.  Mosquito mouthparts lead […] Read more

Illustrating a Coastal Hay Meadow Landscape

Posted on 27th September 201914th October 2019 in Current projects and news

Illustrating a Hay Meadow: The Commission A recent commission to illustrate a hay meadow landscape down on the coast of Devon was a wonderful job.  The client is North Devon Area of Natural Beauty (NDAONB) and the illustration will be used on an interpretation board on site. Currently, the area is scrub land; it’s over-grazed […] Read more

Save our Butterflies: Gardening for butterflies (2 of 2)

Posted on 28th June 201911th August 2019 in Current projects and news

This is a Guest blog by DIY Garden.  Illustrations by Lizzie Harper. How Butterflies help in the Garden Butterflies and moths are not only beautiful garden viditors, they are vital pollinators. Whereas bees get covered in pollen, butterflies take a smaller amount on their slender legs.  They travel greater distances than bees, flitting around like nomads instead of […] Read more

Botanical Illustration trip: Wicken Fen

Posted on 10th July 20179th January 2019 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

I recently went on a botany fieldtrip to Norfolk with the Institute for Analytical Plant Illustration (IAPI).  It was a fabulous way to spend a sunny July weekend, and to discover a whole new area of Britain. Wicken Fen and land management Our first day was an exploration of Wicken Fen.  This is a gorgeous nature […] Read more

Illustrating a Water Meadow Landscape

Posted on 12th June 20179th January 2019 in Current projects and news

Getting started on a Water meadow landscape I was recently commissioned to complete a large natural history natural science watercolour illustration of a landscape.  Woodstock is a water meadow habitat; the illustration would feature my wildlife and botanical illustrations of the species there.   This illustration will be used on an interpretation panel, and was a […] Read more

Pembrokeshire coastal animals

Posted on 18th July 20141st December 2018 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

Last week my blog was on flower and plant treats available on a weekend trip to Pembrokeshire.  This week it’s the turn of the animals. Bosherston beach, Stackpole, Pembrokeshire Animals of the Coastal Path: Beetles The first treat, on a sandy path facing the sun, were Green tiger beetles.  I love these fierce animals.  They scuttle at high […] Read more

Illustrating a Bumble bee

Posted on 31st January 20143rd December 2018 in Zoological step by step

Bumble bee commission   I was commissioned to do a natural history illustration of a bumble bee for an interpretation board on flight.  The client is Anglezarke Dixon Associates, for Yorkshire Dales National Park.  They wanted a White tailed bumble bee (Bombus lucorum).  This would accompany my scientific illustrations of the pipistrelle bat and peacock […] Read more

Illustration: A working week

Posted on 25th January 201427th November 2018 in Current projects and news

Natural Science (or natural history) illustration is like all other jobs, you have good weeks and bad weeks.  Last week was a really happy one; I had  plenty to do (but not overwhelming amounts); I finished up a big project; and I got two smaller jobs completed.  Being able to feel productive and efficient always […] Read more

Natural History Illustration: Butterflies gallery

Posted on 30th August 201321st November 2018 in Showcase of themed natural history illustrations

Before they disappear for another year, I thought it might be worth putting up a collection of my illustrations of some of the more common British butterfly species. These have mostly been commissioned privately, or by the Wildlife Trusts. For a really good guide to the commoner British butterfly species, you should get The Butterflies of Britian […] Read more

Illustrating Iridescence

Posted on 24th March 20133rd November 2018 in Biological terminology: Definitions, Illustration techniques

Mechanics of Iridescence There are many subjects in nature which are extraordinarily beautiful.  Animals which glint and gleam with iridescence are definitely one of them.  However, in order to take on the (not inconsiderable) challenge of illustrating iridescent creatures it’s important to have a basic grasp of the processes that cause these animals to shine […] Read more

Drawing disgust: illustrating revolting animals

Posted on 16th March 201325th October 2018 in Showcase of themed natural history illustrations

As a scientific illustrator, I sometimes get commissioned to illustrate animals that scare people, or fill them with disgust. They say the beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this is certainly true with a variety of natural history illustrations I’ve completed.  None of these animals evince a reaction of revulsion in me.  […] Read more

Botanical illustrations, coccolith, and a peacock

Posted on 14th January 201318th October 2018 in Current projects and news

I have finished the last of the illustrations for ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, and am just waiting to hear if any alterations are needed before sending them off.  By far the hardest illustration in the set was the pair of peacock, whose complexity dwarfed any of the deer and antelope. Peacock trouble I think the problem with […] Read more

Deer scientific illustrations and a sparrow

Posted on 7th January 201318th October 2018 in Current projects and news, Showcase of themed natural history illustrations

This is a half week of work, but I’m pretty pleased with what I’ve got done.  I’ve finished the last of the deer for ZSL Whipsnade; a grand total of eleven animals.  If you’d like to see them all in one place, I’ve popped up an album of them on my facebook site: Deer and Antelope […] Read more

Natural history illustrations for ZSL

Posted on 9th December 201218th October 2018 in Current projects and news

I thought this week would be exclusively about marketing and getting more than 400 Christmas promotional cards featuring my illustrations in the post; however, it’s proved a little more interesting than that. ZSL Whipsnade zoo I got a commission from ZSL Whipsnade Zoo to paint illustrations of  ten antelope species, and three other creatures.  I’d never heard […] Read more

Save our Butterflies: Biology and threats (1 of 2)

Posted on 14th June 200014th June 2019 in Current projects and news

This is a Guest blog by DIY Garden.  Illustrations by Lizzie Harper. Wildlife Butterflies and moths have been around for millions of years. They used to be a common sight in gardens and countryside, but numbers have declined since the 1940s along with our other native wildlife species such as bees and hedgehogs. It will come […] Read more