I thought I’d try an illustration of a bat for today’s Blogtober. I’m not terribly pleased with the composition, and my leaves went a bit weird but I’ve got a lot of random paint on my palette so I’m using it up. It’s a dreadful habit as it makes everything look muddy but I did this painting in between my other commitments today and gouache needs to be used in one sitting for best effect. It can be rewetted but it’s never as nice as painting with it when it’s freshly squeezed from the tube, and I tend to save that for proper illustrations rather than sketchbook stuff.
Here is a Common Pipistrelle, the bat you’re most likely to see hawking at dusk along hedgerows and around houses, catching moths and craneflies and other winged insects. They aren’t the most attractive creatures to paint I must say…I think I’ll go back to cats tomorrow.
A face only its mother could love, but I am very fond of bats as I find it astonishing that we have a mammal that properly flies. Tiny, furry, yet zips around with more agility than a bird. The evolutionary journey is completely fascinating, not to mention the immensely important role they play in the ecosystem. I am constantly awed by nature.
