Buglife/Species on the Edge Plantain Leaf Beetle Sighting Postcard
Beetle Logo Inset
The Plantain Leaf Beetle (Chrysolina intermedia subsp) is one of nine identified target species on Orkney, that form part of the multi agency Scottish coastal conservation Project Species on the Edge (for more information read here).
On Orkney the locality of the Species is limited to the broken rocky area around the parking area at Yesnaby, the beetles rarity, size (7-11mm) and proximity to disturbance ecspecially in the summer months when the parking area if full and includes coaches, with the associated footfall increases the chance of mortality and awareness of its presence important. To engage the public both in citizen science and help limit its disturbance; Buglife and Species on the Edge have designed a sighting postcard. The logo inset (shown by the red outlined circle on left) will be a fully worked-up version of the illustration I helped the Schoolchildren at Dounby primary School illustrate (project page here)
Plantain Leaf Beetle
Copyright: Sarah Crowe
Final Full Colour Illustration: Plantain Leaf Beetle
Medium: Layered Traditional and Watercolour Pencils with ink
Illustrated size : 7 × 7cm
Scale: 7:1
Production of the Illustration process
The request was to produce a final worked-up illustration at the size I’d taught the Schoolchildren to illustrate, as this enable all the beetle anatomy to be seen: including the distinctive red strip along the carapace and the segmented legs and antennae. The beetle carapace is also dimpled, and its this features when the light catches it that gives the species more depth. It was agreed that I would produce a full colour version, then Paul Kelly NatureScot’s graphic designer would assess at what final scale to include the beetle in the postcard inset.
As my work is also part of my professional development, I wanted to produce the final illustration using a combination of techniques that I had leant from two other illustrator I had come across on social media, particular Carim Nahaboo who specialises in Insect illustration in Ink and Coloured Pencil. I also had already been practicing in layering traditional dry and watercoloured pencil, and decided to combine all three. The ink allowing the darkest areas of black to standout, and allowing finer detail of the leg and antennae segments. The image on the right shows the beetle following the shadow layer of coloured pencil, watercolour pencil base layer followed by the completed ink layer, leaving the highlights. Whilst the ink is drying, the remaining layers of coloured pencil in Holbein Lamp black, Derwent Lightfast Dark Indigo and Ocean Blue (dark) are applied to give the beetle its depth and dimensionality.
The final illustration was sent to NatureScot Graphic Designer Paul Kelly to decide what scale to include in the inset of the finished card (left). I was extremely satisfised with how the illustration came out on the card, with the detail being preserved.
The card is photographed with the actual beetle on its food plants.