I suck at butterflies!!!

Ok have not posted in a while on this thread but most of these have been on facebook already at some time
The trying a different edge - o - fly


the doing this on a two and a half year old is is like pulling hens teeth -o -fly

The sun comes out at just the right moment - o - fly

the didn't learn my lesson from the last time I painted this two and a half year old - o -fly

the think on your feet step outside your comfort zone - o -fly

Wow Sue! I am in awe!!! Not just of your work (which is amazing) but your photos and models are beautiful! "The sun comes out at just the right moment - o - fly" is a stunning photo. Hell, they ALL are! Wish you lived closer so I could take a butterfly course from you.

Just beautiful Sue!! Love them all!

aw thanks,

these are my daughters and the middle one and the youngest have systematically between the two of them made me paint butterflys on them (mainly pink) over 1 and a half years combined between the two of them - the middle child is over it now. I do still have some co opporation issues from the youngest. Occasionally dose ask for a tiger. I have only had luck since she was 2 and a half - it is very hit of miss depending on her mood.

But I keep telling the dad (who is going grey and balding for which he blames on the stress of three beautiful girls) that its all from me - he he he

I adore the blue one elantaura - beautiful! Love your edging.

Beautiful butterflies ladies...

Also ment to say lizzie its fluttery enough.

Linda - still love an enjoy your work - seriously guys, I improved my butterflys so much just by having a really good look at what Linda dose!!

katurah- I really do love fairy floss, and you linework and symetry is good I am still not happy with mine why I keep trying new edges. I am in envy of those who can do nice white tear drop ones, add flowers well, layer better etc etc.

CKC - My word berry and teal.... That is awsome!! and very hard without muddying. I was already impressed at your small ones but wow.

todays effort I am going through a flutter stage i.e. one stoke sponged on. I go through phases all the time!!! But this one is super quick. As in line buster quick. this takes about 50 sec to 1 and a 1/2 mins (depending on the nature of the child my daughter being the later of the two)


I have to really find the next butterfly inspiation as I am running out of ideas - basically I need to just think for a few months on what suits me and what's next hmm

and just for inspiration I have never posted this.... my first butterfly ever. as in opened my brand new face paint that I didn't understand and I did this.


and it took I sware about 30 mins to make this mess - lol

Ok, I thought you just had a natural "nack" for butterflies Sue but that last one made me realize that it was a learning experience for you as well I am really bad at butterflies, need to find a simple one that I can offer and just switch up colors....Here is my latest disaster!

I do have to add that my daughter (for whatever reason, maybe the same reason she sniffs my paints) LOVED this one! Oh the shame!!!

It is because I sucked so badly at them that I worked on them -lol

IMHO
I think the trick is to look at your strengths as a painter. One of mine is graduated blends I can do it quick and well. Which is why I can pull off the open butterfly(as in no filled in bits), I just let the blend talk I started that as customers didn't like me covering my blends.(see first attempt you may understand why ) but If you look at various peoples butterflys I mean really look. you will start to see great linework, great flowers, great blends various things.

Then when hunting for the OMG I need one for a job one: look towards whatever brush you find easyiest - The stage I am at now is really messing around with brushes, why I have trying out a new edge etc. but there was a time!!
but as you can see from my above first attempt the round brush was not my friend to start with , so I decided to try a few different ways.

Then.... I worked on symetry and shape again looking at other peoples work where they cut them up on the face and edged them down. (Now I can look at a kids bone structure and generally get it right but that is again now)

When you start out as a painter, take the time laying the sponge base because you do it right and eventually you have the mucsle memory to do it right without thinking. Spend less time on the edge . after a while you will notice that you can lay the base without too much effort.

This frees up time to work on the edge. once you get that... As it to will come faster. then you have time to work on detail.
basically look at your strengths, work on an element at a time. when you notice you've got it move forward.

In all honesty to my eye what stands out as the best techniques above is you laid the color well, and that white layered brush bit near the eye is also done well. Further to that I am going to go out on a limb and say by looking at your avatar you have good control of a round brush so here is what you do: stalk umm I mean look at a few round brush painters for a while here and on facebook etc. there is an old butterfly challenge thread that is good to scoll through. I tend to go with flat, angle, dagger or filbert depending on how i feel when doing it. ( as you can see why I was put of by the round from my first effort.) look at the edge strokes and duplicate it on your arm, paper, wax paper. Then try that all together on a model.

Oh and sniffing paint is fine you only have to worry when the glitter sniffing starts.

Sue, love love love your butterflies!! The line work is so delicate and beautiful!

elantaura your butterfly is amazing and I think your symmetry is spot on! I would love to see a step by step on this one - I wish I could do butterflies that quick and have them look so great

elauntra, your butterflies are gorgeous!
I still think butterflies are my favorite! You can do so much with them & make each one special & unique! I love all your butterflies!!!

Hi everybody,

I'm also not that good at butterfly's.
But here's one i did today. I find this one good enough to share with you guys. Let me know what you think

xoxoxox

Very pretty Sweet Illusions! What cake is that? I love the color combo...

Hi Erica,

Thanks. The cake is juicy fruit from sillyfarm.
It's the first time I just it. I also love the combo!

That cake is similar to the TAG Havana Sunset available in the Face Paint Forum Shop. I use the TAG Havana Pearl Sunset on darker skin and it really POPS!

xoxo

I thought it was havana (I have it) but I saw it was in a round pot in the pic...they really are to similiar for me to justify buying it, darn. I already had it in my cart lol. Here is my try at Sue's butterfly design. Thanks for letting me have a go at it Sue! I hope that I can someday do it justice!



My daughter prefers the half fly. I used the larger portion of the candy land fairy fly kit for the base.

Linda - I do love Butterflys now...I don't fear changing them on the job anymore and I really love yours because you have such an array and by looking at them for technique I improved mine - so thank you.

Sweet illusions you have a great natural shape to your design - I love colour combo

Erica - Great job... glad I could help -It looks disturbingly similar to when I started doing them this way so don't worry it will come

Loving all the pretty color combos

Sue, thank you for the post that breaks down your efforts. Makes sense....I sometimes get so frustrated when trying something different, now I can think about just breaking it down to practicing certain things. Not so overwhelming!

Love the juicy fruit/havana sunset split cake with paradise wild orchid to line it.

Wow Julie that is beautiful! Did u use a flat brush for the outline?

oh so pretty!!

Ok trying to step outside my comfort zone. and sharing my learning curb.

These ones I am not too happy with it feels as though something went wrong

This one although ok I think for lack of a better term. looks too bird like


This one I think its the sucky line work as I was trying something I know I am not too good at. I.e. the whole white and flower thing I have seen done so well by others. and keeping within 5 mins (my daughter perfers 3 mins)I think its missing somthing but don't know what

The flower one really bothers me as I am not seeing it. and feel I am missing something, mabye it's adding something, I don't know basically it feels as though something is off. As opposed to the top one which I just think dosn't work well together.
(I don't get any say in the choice of colour, mabye that is the issue)

I thought I would add one from a job the other day that I posted on facebook - I was flat out at this job, but I thought it gave a good, havana sunset colour array for those interested earlier.

^love the havana sunset, very pretty!