This a small mixed media piece that's about 3.5x5.5 with a 5x7 blue mat (not pictured. I had painted a yellow, green, and blue color palette scarab what seems like an eternity ago in oils and I wanted to see if I could do better.

The answer is WAY better. It's painted with watercolors, watercolor medium, and colored pencils on Arches hot press 140 lb paper. 300lb paper is my preference, but at such a small size the lighter weight is ok.

Image is partially referenced from a photo by National Geographic  photographer David Liittschwager: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/a-jewel-scarab-collected-from-a-sample-david-liittschwager.html