UGHHHHHHHHHH butterflies!!!!!!!!!!

No matter what I do, I can't seem to make butterflies. I keep trying, and they are always lopsided and funky looking. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Show us!

Lyn

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=13083279&id=817815713
https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=13245416&id=817815713
https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=13245415&id=817815713

Can't see them.
I'll show you mine (first one I ever did!):
https://www.facebook.com/lyn.gill#!/photo.php?pid=6211233&id=678525978
Let me know if you can't see it - it's supposed to be public, but I may not have the privacy settings right!

Lyn

Can't view your links. To help with the symmetry, start with off side first (right handed start on their right side). This way you can look at that side while you do their left side (your hand won't be in the way)

I'm getting them uploaded to my flickr now so you can see my fail. My very first attempt at facepainting was a butterfly on my daughter. I don't count that one as much because aside from practicing on my arm I hadn't done anything yet. The rest...I have no excuse for.

Okies....These should be clickable...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hennabykat/4794868961/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hennabykat/4795500960/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hennabykat/4794866327/

I saw/read somewhere that if you think your butterflies look odd, it may be because the lower wings should be smaller than the upper wings. Maybe that's what you don't like?

Lyn

I don't think they look lopsided. I really like the one with the bright colors.

The first pic doesn't have much distinction between the lower and upper wings, that's all.

They look pretty good to me! What's lopsided about them?

Another way is not to outline down the side of the nose. Try that and see if you like them better.

They look good to me! Love the colors in the one you did line work in blue!

p.s. love your henna work too!

they look pretty good for beginner butterflies to me.... mine still aren't much better than that.

Wow, thanks guys. I've just seen so many beautiful butterflies here I really thought I was having some sort of brain malfunction. You guys are awesome and now I can go back to working on them without feeling completely useless. lol.

(Thanks dixie! I think because doing henna came to me so quickly I thought facepainting would too, and some things are easy for me while others....not so much. Definitely a different learning curve!)

Hey Vampkat,
Great first attempts, you're being way too hard on yourself.
My suggestion for you to get the effect I think you're going for is to give way more angle to the wings >i< , they look a little too straight up and down )i( . Sorry for my silly characters to try to explain, but I'm at my regular 9-5 and can't break out my paint right now

hey chica (vampKat) where do you live in the dc metro area? Have you been to some of the jams? wanna gets together one day?

Also I think the top wings should be bigger then the bottom wings

I live in woodbridge actually. I've been too busy to go to the jams...it seems whenever they come up I have plans (and spend a few minutes fussing and whining about it). I actually sent my hubby and daughter to the first one I found out about (she got the blue and white tiger!). I really hope to make the next one.

I think you're off to a great start. I've read that making your wings smaller helps. Don't have the lower wing go too far part the cheek bone or to high up past the temples(does this make sense?). Also, what size brush are you using for linework? You might want a smaller sized round brush. Point all your lines on the outside of the butterfly to the tear duct of the eye.

You might also want to experiment with outlining in white. I found that especially for smaller children it adds a softness to the look.

Thanks for all the tips guys! I will give them all a try and see how they work for me.

Try this video. This is is the one I used when I first started:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmec-f0jwIw

Butterflies are the bain of my existence in that I feel I really struggle with them too! They are sufficient for the kids, but I haven't really figured out what I like yet.

Some butterfly elements are just a matter of personal taste. So, a little kid will probably love a face full of butterfly wings, but you could try a smaller version that doesn't take up as much face space. It can look more delicate and more appealing to a grown-up.

Then, do you like a more realistic butterfly, or more stylized? I like lots of swirls and teardrops, so I make more imaginary types, but I want to have a few types in my arsenal. I'm working on it.

I did notice on one of your butterflies something I could note on... it was the profile, purpley I think, with black edging. It helps the design if all the lines on each butterfly quarter point towards the same focal point (usually the tear duct of the eye). Some of the little points looked more parallel, and I think that might help.

On personal taste...do what you will, but perhaps don't do what I saw a local painter do here...instead of going around the eyes, her wings start under the nose, so top and bottom wings are on the cheek...I'd never seen that before!

It could be cute... if they made it look like the butterfly landed on the kid's nose, but somehow I doubt it. And the kid would probably be cross-eyed all day trying to look at it, too. So, yea. Listen to Krystal. Don't do that. lol.

This was it:



Ok, so it's not just under the nose, it's on the nose, too. My bad.