Moth inspired fairy wings <3

[ShyMer]

I'm spending the next two weeks dog sitting at my parents' house, so to keep busy, I'm making fairy wings!

I haven't really made any in over a year, but I have a few new ideas, so I want to get back into it.

Here's a pair I finished yesterday. They're inspired by these little brown moths I see at our apartment. They're fairly common, and don't have bright exciting wings like some of the others, but I think they're so elegant, especially in the light.
It's made from paper, wire, and acrylic paint. I wanted to combine hand painting and airbrush for this pair, and tried to limit myself for time spent painting. I think the effect is pretty nice.

12548

12549

I would call this a medium size.

I'm thinking about selling them in the future, but for now I'm building up my stash. What do you all think?

[emma11]

WOW. Those are gorgeous! Very mothlike, they look almost fuzzy! How are you going to attach those to people?

[ShyMer]

For ladies, they slide back behind the bra strap. I've used an ace bandage for my heavier large wings too. I've not figured out exactly how I'd attach it to kids or to men yet, though. Maybe I'll figure out a strap system.

I could use a different method to mount the wings, but I really like how these move best.

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

I love them! They look amazing so far! Keep up the good work.

[Mermaid Tula]

Gorgeous! I'd love to see a Luna Moth pair hehe.

[ShyMer]

My extra large wings are lunas, though I want to make some more anyway, because luna moths are gorgeous! I think this is a different variety, but I'd like to do this-
12554

I've been thinking about a few butterflies as well, and I have yet to try bat/dragon wings.

[Mermaid Tula]

Oh wow! I love the pinks and purples on that luna! Gorgeous! <3

[Nashoba]

OMG! These wings are so cool! So want a pair for myself. Dang! Another thing I'll put on the "must make this" list. lol

[Mermaid Photine]

This is so beautiful! The paper makes it look like the wing has actual veins.

[Mizuko]

Wow so pretty! <3 May I ask, how sturdy are these (being made from paper)? :)

[Jadestone]

These are beautiful!! I love moths a lot :) That one up there looks like a comet moth--one of my favorite species:

12565

12566

sorry for the tiny pictures... it turns out my favorite insect/reptile photography deleted the account I follow :( So it'll be a while before I can track down his high-quality pictures again. Sigh.

[ShyMer]

Jadestone, those are actually the ones I was looking for earlier. So lovely!

They're actually pretty hardy for something made from paper. The steel wire holds its shape very nicely and the paper is sealed, so they're even water resistant to a degree.
The large luna set that I have has a rip in one of the wings where it fell on some pointy things, but I think that was also partly due to its large size (over six foot wingspan!) and the fact that I was still figuring out what I was doing. I use shellac to protect the paper, so it's actually pretty strong. I think that if I don't jab them with sharp objects or let my parents' dogs walk on them, they should hold up pretty well to normal use.

Hopefully I'll be able to make a few more sets this week, so I'll post them as they are completed. If anyone has any suggestions for inspiration, I'd love to see it!

[Jadestone]

:) Well, here's a few more that I think look pretty cool!

Hyles linata:
12628

Citheronia splendens:
12629

and I've always had a soft spot for Owl moths :)
12630

[Mermaid Kalliope]

OOoooo! Cabbage butterfly! Cabbage butterfly!! I would so buy a cabbage butterfly set from you! ^_^ Also, those blue butterflies. >< I always forget what they're called. D: Bah!

[ShyMer]

Blue morphos? If love to do one of those too:)

I have plenty of work cut out for me now!

[Mermaid Saphira]

I like the moth wings you made, they are so elegant. And Oh wow, that luna moth would make the most amazing pair of wings! Good luck, I can't wait to see more!

[ShyMer]

Not my best, but hey.

Loosely based on the atlas moth, because I'm lazy.

12645

12646

It's still drying and shouldn't be stuck together yet, so each wing is still separate.

I can also see that it might be time to invest in better quality acrylic paints... The eye spots look dark because I forgot to leave a blank spot and had to use full strength paint to make the colors show up. It looks lighter when the light's different.
I'm going to do something with more color next time. This stopped being fun halfway through because I kept making it too dark :(

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Mermaid Kalliope]

Ooo pretty! <3

[Mermaid Jewel]

Wow! I can't believe it's paper!

[Mermaid Oshun]

I have some wings like that I got from a garden center outside in my yard but they are made out of fabric so they lasted for years.

[triteia]

Oooh so lovely!

[Mermaid Danielle]

Those wings are so beautiful! Great work!

[Mermaid Caspiana]

Oh wow how much are you charging?

[Azurin Luna]

Those wings are pretty cool!
Can I ask you what kind of paper you are using? I tried making fabric wings for my fairy costume but it failed to hold the paint details, and I think they would look way better made with paper

[ShyMer]

I had a long response, but I lost it all :( Hopefully I'll remember everything I wanted to say.

Thank you for the encouragement, guys. I enjoy sharing my hobbies with you all, you're so lovely.

Azarin Luna- they're actually made with layered tissue paper. I haven't tried other papers yet, though I suspect a combination of papers would be the most suitable.
I have tried making wings with hose/tights before, but I didn't like that i couldn't put as much detail into them as I'd have liked, and I was limited in shape. I also tried organza, but I had to rely on hot glue as I didn't have a sewing machine to finish the edges, and it got really hairy and unattractive. The detail was better, but not great.
I like the feel of paper and fact that I can paint as many details as I have patience for.

I've seen wings made from silk that were gorgeous. I think they used one single piece of wire on the top of each wing, which I don't usually like, but if designed correctly, could look very nice.

My method is different, but I suspect that other people who make paper wings use acrylic polymer medium. I've heard of people using this stuff for collage, so I can see that working for wings. It'd act as a glue and sealer, as well as protecting the color from fading. I'd like to try it sometime to see if I like it.

I'd probably adjust my prices based on size, complexity of shape, and complexity of paint job. The small wings are so much easier and faster to make, while the bigger ones take quite a bit of work in every aspect. I'd probably put a basic set of medium wings with a simple paint job at 50 or so, but I'd have to think about it.

[ShyMer]

Bump!

I've been working on my wings a little bit- I've been distracted by this comic my friend and I are doing for a contest that's due before October 1st. In the meantime I have managed to make a pair of tiny wings. I'll probably use them for a doll or a pet.

I'm pleased because I've found a different kind of sealer I've had in my closet for years, and it works very nicely in that it doesn't saturate the paper. I can make white wings now :) I don't trust that it's as water resistant as the shellak, but it's better in other ways.

14826

They're about four inches long. I like painting small wings because it's much easier to put a lot of detail into them. I'd like to make a full size set like this for myself <3
I have also made two other full sized sets that aren't finished yet. I'll try to remember to post them when I'm not focused on the comic...