Creobroter

Today's watercolor sketchbook page fulfills several of my "try this" list items for the month (see the 30 in 30 page for more info). 1) it's done from a picture I took, 2) it's one of my pets, and 3) it's a mantis.

I keep and sometimes breed 13 species of exotic praying mantids. This was my first one, Kali, just after she molted to become an adult and got her pretty wings. She's an Indian Flower Mantis, (Creobroter pictipennis).

Mantids make really interesting pets and I thought they'd also be fun to paint. Some of her markings look like they were painted on with watercolor anyway, so I figured that'd be a good media for it. I need to take more pics of my critters and paint them.

I haven't updated it in a while, but if mantids interest you my mantis site is at Mantis Files.