October 28, 2013

Buggy Origami

true bug cicada origami digital illustration drawing kimberly shaffer


This weekend I volunteered at a children's museum for a Halloween event teaching kids about all of the good and "bad" bugs out there!

For my station, I taught kids how to make origami true bugs. This is the "sucking" bug group which includes bed bugs, water bugs, cicadas, and garden pests such as leafhoppers and aphids.

Along with a fun chance to interact with all sorts of kids in Halloween costumes (Buzz Lightyears and vampires abounded!), this was great drawing practice.

I wrote and illustrated all of the materials distributed in my class, including this bookmark. I printed it out in neon cardstock, as well as white for the littlest tots to color in lieu of folding origami.

And as my first (super fun!) origami instruction project, I drafted up the pages below, too.

Feel free to print out (download links below images) and use as you like!

Bookmark 
(download)
true bugs cicada kids educational bookmark scientific illustration kimberly shaffer askabiologist asu



Origami True Bug Instructions

origami cicada kids craft kimberly shaffer true bug scientific science skrimbley

origami cicada kids craft kimberly shaffer true bug scientific science skrimbley



October 14, 2013

True buggy bugs and other art projects



A sketch.

Lately I've been buuusy! School's done, and work is piling up. I'm buckling down for the winter but in spare moments working on:

- enamel earrings (I have a kiln, hallelujah!)
- leatherwork (tooling buttery smooth leather is a dream)
- a little bit of digital illustration for biology outreach programs (e.g. a "bad bug" exhibit for Halloween)

and

- large ceramic bowls for Empty Bowls, a charity event for fighting hunger.

I'm turning 100 pounds of porcelain into giant blue-and-white illustrated bowls.
Illustrations will likely involve monsters, robots, and bugs.

Look for progress pictures soon. 

:)