Sawtooth stag beetle — Colored Example

Leave white highlights to make it look shiny

The outer shell covering the stag beetle's body is smooth and has a special shiny look.

• Leave white spaces uncolored on the highest parts of the back and head where the light hits best.

• Use dark colors around the white spots. Color softly toward the highlights to make a nice shade. This makes the body look hard and shiny!

Layer reddish-brown colors

The Sawtooth stag beetle is special because it is not pitch black. It is a reddish-brown color, like wet amber.

• First, color the whole body lightly with light brown or orange as your base.

• Next, gently add dark brown, reddish-brown, and a little black on top. Layering these colors gives the body a deep color you cannot get with just one pencil!

Sharpen your pencil for sharp jaws and leg spikes

The best parts of this stag beetle are its saw-like teeth on the big jaws and the sharp spikes on its legs!

• Make sure your colored pencil is nice and sharp. Color carefully so you do not go outside the lines.

• Use a very dark brown or black on the underside of the legs and inside the joints. This makes the parts pop out and look 3D!

Use up-and-down strokes to make the tree trunk look bumpy

The trees that stag beetles like to rest on have rough bark with lines running up and down.

• Move your pencil up and down. Trace the lines in the bark to keep that bumpy feel.

• Color the deep crack lines with dark brown or black. Use yellow-ochre or light brown on the raised parts where light shines to make the bark look real.

Softly blend the forest background to make your beetle stand out

To make the Sawtooth stag beetle look like the star of a photograph, color the forest and leaves in the background so they look soft and blurry.

• Tilt your colored pencil sideways. Gently color in small circles without pressing too hard.

• Do not draw clear lines for the trees and sunlight in the back. Softly mix green, yellow, and brown together instead.

Use different colors on fallen leaves to make them look real

If you color all the leaves on the ground the exact same brown, it can look a little boring.

• Change the color for each leaf! Make some leaves green, some bright yellow, and others dark brown.

• Add a slightly darker brown where leaves overlap to make simple shadows. This makes the ground look much cooler!