I have spent the better part of an evening searching the internet for any pictures or designs for a small metal butterfly. the closest I have found is one of those yard stake things made from a kit. Has anyone made or seen a design for a small butterfly? something about the size of your palm or so? unfortunetly the design phase is usually what gives me problems. If anyone can offer help or suggestions I appriciate it.

Here is a pic I downloaded somewhere for future use. So I don't know who or how it was done. But it sure is a great piece.

if it were me i would use a photograph of a real butterfly, and work from there, that way you will get something more original. you can get all you need, the shape of the wings and body, also markings, and they will all translate fairly easily into metal. show us what you end up making :)

If I were you I'd look up Bill Epps. He teaches how to make some bugs and it would be a good place to start imagining.

This is a alot bigger than my palm, but this is one of my butterflies... pic is taken at an odd angle, but it's meant to hang out on a wall -- you could make it out of wire? I have also made some with wings out of copper, and riveted them to a steel body.. decorated a garden obelisk that way, was really lovely, don't have pics of that on this computer though.

Here is one of my butterflies, made from steel sheet. I also make them from copper. This one is 5 1/2 inches across but I also make therm much smaller as pins and barrettes. I found images through google. These are not forged of course, repousse.

Well, I wonder where the picture went! Sorry.

Thanks for all the responses. Pat if you find where the picture went I would love to see. thanks for all the help.

Here is one made by J.M.Walker, an excellent smith from Md.

I make butterflies as part of sculptures, etc. The one that postleg posted is one that I did. I agree with Beth. The best place to start is nature itself. Download pictures of various butterflies as examples. Others here have posted different examples. You are only limited my your own imagination. Good luck and keep us posted.


Mitch