British Bats
By Emily Redman
This year I created a project about bats in the UK. Over it's duration I covered...
- Why they are so important to our country
- The different types of bats the UK is home to
- How bats have been depicted in the art and media we consume
- How this connects to the negative associations people tend to have with bats
and
- What we need to do to protect their conservation.
My end goal was to create a final outcome that would change peoples opinions on bats for the better, by depicting them in a more positive way, shedding light on their natural beauty as well as educating people on why they are important and need to be protected.
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I did a lot of mixed media and composition experiments throughout, here i have selected which ones i feel best showcase the development leading up to my final outcome.
I wanted depict their natural habitat so i did some on sight sketching at a forest local to me. In this park I attend bat spotting walks that the town council organises annually.
To create my final outcomes I used hard charcoal pencils, medium charcoal pencils, watercolour paints and white charcoal. I created a large mood board above my desk with experiments, tests, feedback points, thumbnails and ideas to keep referring to as I worked.
For my final outcome I created a triptych of posters depicting 3 British bats. The two matching posters depict two cute bat’s faces, one pipistrelle and one brown long-eared. They are covered with ferns, pine cones and spring blossom flowers. Representing the bats vital ability to pollinate our forests so that our ecosystem can thrive. The centre piece depicts a white pipistrelle bat soaring through a dark forest after an insect. Representing the bats nocturnal beauty and another important role they play in our ecosystem of catching insects. It puts across the message that a healthy functioning woodland can be changed for the better even with just a tiny bug and a tiny bat. My final outcome was created so that even people who are not so fond of bats can be educated on this and start to appreciate them.
Thank you for reading
