#weta

...and back again.

This is my first time using actual artist-grade colouring pencils (rather than the kiddie stuff you get at stationery stores). this drawing started out SUPER rough and i was ready to give up on it several times, but im happy to say my bug pulled through in the end.

the biggest difference is that actual good colouring pencils have this vibrancy to their colours, and the lead inside has this creamy texture that makes it easy to blend and apply to the paper. it almost feels like a thin oil pastel. the white highlights were added on afterwards with paint because my line control is not that great yet.

bonus bug fact: the weta is a species of wingless cricket. <- i was literally 22 years old when i found out. they just looked so fucking prehistoric i could not have guessed it.

[image description: a colour pencil drawing in earthy tones depicts the head, front legs, and thorax of a weta, which is an insect from New Zealand. The weta is mostly in shades of brown, but black shadows and yellow and white highlights create a sense of three dimensionality. The background is a dark greyish blue, which provides contrast.

@layahimalaya submitted: just sharing a photo of the absolute tiniest wētā I found the other day! (south island, Aotearoa)

"Felt cute, might delete later"

Behold: big bug lady

If you want to get your hands on this gorgeous wētāpunga sticker, come find me at Wellington Armageddon 2026! @unconventionalvoidaxolotls and I are hosting a bug-themed stamp rally and this (as part of a collaborative sticker sheet) is one of the prizes :)

Wētā fun facts below the cut:

Kiwismith