Peacock Butterfly Illustration

Gorgeous peacock butterfly illustration by Lotti Brown...

Hand-painted watercolour illustration transformed into a stunning digital design - now available as art prints, T-shirts, and tote bags...

Peacock Butterfly illustration by Lotti Brown

Buy an art print here...

The distinctive Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io) is one of Britain's favourite butterflies that we see in our gardens and in the countryside feeding on the nectar of flowers, the 'Butterfly Bush', Buddleia, being a particular favourite.

The Peacock Butterfly survives as an adult for up to 11 months, so we might see it all year round, either flying around outside or hibernating in dark spaces like sheds where its dark under-wings help it to hide.

Its big blue eyes on the wings are a disguise to scare off predators. If threatened, the peacock butterfly can also rub the veins on its fore- and hind-wings together to make a hissing sound as if it were a snake. When it rests with its wings folded, it's almost invisible with the wings having a dark camouflage pattern looking like dead leaves.

It's black spiny caterpillars with white spots hatch in May-June to spin a communal silk web and eat nettle leaves, pupating into a chrysalis in July, and emerging as adult butterflies later in July or through August, before overwintering to lay eggs the following Spring.

Peacock Butterflies are currently classed as non-threatened in the UK, in spite of the Butterfly Conservation 2024 Big Butterfly Count noting a 67% drop in numbers since 2023 and a more than 30% fall in the past 14 years (more here). So they certainly still need our love!

Peacock Butterfly Illustration

I created my peacock butterfly illustration from my hand-painted watercolour artwork...

I start with my initial drawing, carefully plotted out in my sketchbook - I only draw one half of the butterfly, as I'll copy this half to make it look even...

Initial drawing

I copy out my initial drawing onto watercolour paper and add the first layers of watercolour to help me map out where I want each different colour to lie...

First layers of watercolour

I add additional layers of colour to deepen the colour and add in texture as I go...

More layers of paint deepen the colour

The final stages are adding more detail to my illustration with a very small paint brush...

Adding detail to the illustration

Natural history illustration - Peacock Butterfly

With my butterfly watercolour illustration complete, I then scan him into my computer, ready to combine digitally with my flower and foliage drawings to make a full design that I can use as an artwork, art prints, on a T-shirt and tote bag.

For this artwork, I picked out a beautiful blue to complement the Peacock Butterfly 'eyes' and made my foliage and floral drawings white and lace like to reflect the delicate appearance of butterflies...

Peacock Butterfly illustration

I hope you love my Peacock Butterfly illustration just as much as I do!

Where to Buy

You can buy my Peacock Butterfly illustration as an eco-friendly 100% recycled art print, and organic cotton T-shirt and organic cotton tote bag...

Peacock butterfly art print

Art print

Women's T-shirts (more colours available)

Women's T-shirts

(additional colours also available)

Peacock butterfly tote bag

Tote bags 

(also available in black)

All products in my store are created to be eco-friendly, sustainable, and socially responsible, made with organic and recycled materials, in a renewable-energy factory.

Buy my Peacock Butterfly and other artworks in my store here...

Where to go next

You can explore more of my recent butterfly illustrations on this page...

If you like butterflies, you might also like some of my older Celtic butterfly designs here...

Explore all my natural history illustrations here...

Explore all my (older) nature art here...

Would you like my FREE 'Getting Started with your First Nature Journal' guide?

Would you like to get started with nature journaling too?

Add your email address below to sign up for my 'Nature Notes with Lotti' newsletter, and I'll send you my free PDF 'Getting Started with your First Nature Journal' guide to help you take your first steps in this fun and absorbing hobby.

I'll also send out regular ideas and nature journal inspiration to help you keep journaling, along with news of my own nature art and illustrations.

Email

I am at least 16 years of age.

I have read and accept the privacy policy.

I understand that you will use my information to send me a newsletter.

Subscribe

My 'Nature Notes with Lotti' newsletter usually comes out around once each month (occasionally more often if there's a special offer on, to ensure you don't miss out).

You can unsubscribe at any time using the 'Unsubscribe' link at the bottom of each email.

What's New Here

• 
• 
• 

1. Nature Journaling vs Nature Drawing

   Dec 17, 24 05:54 AM

   
   Understanding nature journaling versus nature drawing or natural history illustration...

   Read More

2. Edith Holden - The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

   Dec 04, 24 05:06 AM

   
   Be inspired by Edith Holden and her Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - timeless nature journaling inspiration...

   Read More

3. November Nature Journal

   Nov 29, 24 06:53 AM

   
   Browse the pages of my November nature journal and explore Autumn in Yorkshire with Lotti - plus get ideas for your own nature journaling...

   Read More

4. Peacock Butterfly Illustration

   Nov 20, 24 06:52 AM

   
   Beautiful peacock butterfly illustration by Lotti Brown - watercolour and digital - art prints, T-shirts, totebags...

   Read More

5. Book for Bird Lovers - What the Robin Knows

   Nov 11, 24 06:05 AM

   
   Great book for bird lovers who want to understand bird language - What the Robin Knows by Jon Young

   Read More

Explore more recent additions to the site here...

Online Nature Journaling Course

Online nature journaling course

If you'd like to explore nature journaling more, please consider joining me for my 'Imperfect Nature Journaling' online course - I've called it this to remind us to nature journal for the process of connecting with nature to feel good and not to put pressure on ourselves to create pretty pages...

It's a series of 20 lessons or exercises that you can do in your own nature journal to help you try out different ideas and techniques to help you get the most out of your nature journaling sessions and understand what style of nature journaling is the best for you personally.

If this sounds like something you might like, you can find out more about the course here...