Butterflies

Vector drawings of many colourfiul butteflies.

I have a passion for drawing butterflies! I prefer to portray them in their natural postures rather than the standardized, “museum collection” poses often found in many books.

Inspiration

Butterflies are among the most colorful animals in the world, and everyone loves them. What better creatures to draw attention to nature conservation projects? Their intricate patterns provide an excellent canvas for detailed vector illustrations, where each dot represents a scale on a butterfly’s wing.

Creating each butterfly drawing takes me up to two days to complete, and few would notice that I only draw half of the insect! The left and right sides of each illustration are mirror images of one another. These butterfly drawings are truly a labor of love.

Butterfly tea party

A beautiful, detailed, and lifelike butterfly rests on the rim of a teacup. But wait—the butterfly is actually a paper illustration, cleverly placed in place of the tea label!

We showcased a delightful Slovenian herbal tea blend, featuring these lifelike butterfly drawings as an advertisement for nature tourism at fairs. They attracted a lot of attention to our stand!

Detailed paper butterfly models which can sit on the rim of a teacup.
Vector illustrations showing how butterflies sit, and a Speckled wood butterfly, Pararge aegeria

How butterflies sit

For me, it’s essential to draw lifelike butterflies rather than dead specimens from a museum. The difference is subtle, particularly in how the forewings are positioned. Can you see the difference as well?

Alien butterfly identification

A fun project I worked on was providing the artwork for an identification guide to Invasive Alien Species in Slovenian forests. The guide has gone through several printed editions and has also been translated into English. You can download a digital copy free of charge at the LIFE ARTEMIS website

Vector illustratios of Japanese silk moth and Tau emperor in front of the Field guide to alien species in Slovenian forests.