Facing up to Beetles

This free exhibition showcases extraordinary images of beetles, photographed close-up and then enhanced by Michael Darby, using image-manipulation techniques to accentuate fine detail.

Michael photographs the beetles then uploads the photos and, using just the computer mouse, draws around the photos. Fine details are drawn a dozen times, then these are copied and pasted to produce the areas of dense hair or pores. CorelDRAW (a graphics app) generates vector images which means they can be enlarged to almost any size.

Michael Darby is an international expert on beetles and a global expert on the Ptillidae (Feather-wing beetles). He worked at the V&A in London and was deputy director when he retired.