Random Musings and Visuals

Komodo Dragon

2008-03-03T19:10:00.001-08:00

Grizzly Bear

2008-02-27T17:35:00.000-08:00

Quick sketch of big brown bear.

Barn Owl

2008-02-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Pest (Canada Geese)

2008-02-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

One of our areas largest invasive species.... still a very beautiful bird.

Koala

2008-01-30T19:10:00.000-08:00

Rottie

2008-01-29T18:18:00.000-08:00

Quick sketch of doggie

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Updated)

2008-01-22T20:11:00.001-08:00

This is what my drawings look like lately before I start adding tones or color. Hopefully I will finish this one soon.

Here's the finished piece

Golden Frog of Supatá (With COLOR!)

2008-01-17T19:24:00.001-08:00

A type of poison dart frog discovered just last year in Columbia.

From National Geographic:

August 30, 2007—It's a good thing this frog is small, because it doesn't have much room to maneuver.

This newly discovered species of poison frog is a mere 0.8 inch (2 centimeters) long and exists only in a patch of forest about the size of ten city blocks.

Scientists discovered the tiny amphibian in February while surveying the high-elevation cloud forests of central Colombia.

The animal, dubbed the golden frog of Supatá, has a range of just 50 acres (20 hectares), which experts say may explain why it had not been discovered earlier.

The new species belongs to a group of dart frogs, some of which are extremely toxic, said Giovanni Chaves, a biologist with the nonprofit Conservation Leadership Program that organized the expedition.

"They possess [compounds] that can be very toxic if they are ingested or have contact with any mucous [membrane] or open wound," he said.

But the real danger in the region is not the frog, Chaves said—it's the mounting environmental threats that are encroaching on the animal's slim habitat.

"This frog exists in a little fragment of cloud forest that is under intense anthropogenic pressure, mainly the destruction of the forest for cattle-raising and agriculture," he said.

"This discovery allows us to know a little more about the ecology of these beautiful animals, and it will also allow us to use it as a symbol to carry out campaigns of environmental education in this area, to show the need to protect and to conserve the fauna and flora of this region of Colombia."

Scorpion

2008-01-16T17:29:00.000-08:00

Not sure what variety, but it's a scorpion, on top of a tribal background I doodled in.

Silverback Gorilla

2008-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

Quick sketch of big monkey.

Wilson's Bird of Paradise

2008-01-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

Photo Ref: http://i.pbase.com/u34/r53lanc/upload/37557333.Wilsons_BOP.jpg

Excerpt from Wikipedia:

The Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Cicinnurus respublica is a small, up to 21cm long, passerine bird of the Paradisaeidae family. The male is a red and black bird of paradise with a yellow mantle on its neck, light green mouth, rich blue feet and two curved violet tail feathers. The head is naked blue with black double cross pattern on it. The female is a brownish bird with bare blue crown.

I was introduced to this family of birdy by watching the Planet Earth series on Discovery. Though I’m fine with how the drawing turned out, you can’t quite depict the unique beauty of this bird without using color. Maybe I’ll start doing some more painting style images with more color… they just take a bit longer.

Kookaburra

2008-01-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

Keeping w/ the Aussie theme...

Excerpt from Pikiwedia:

Kookaburras are very large terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea, the name a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, which is onomatopoeic of its call.

Panda Playing Didge(eridoo)

2008-01-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

Felt like doing a funny image that I didn't have to take too seriously. I enjoyed drawing the giant panda last night so much that I thought I would do this one.

Giant Panda

2008-01-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta)

2008-01-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

Drawn from a recent photo.

Excerpt from http://www.dgif.state.va.us:

The painted turtle is the most common basking turtle observed in Virginia. This is a moderate-sized freshwater turtle that grows to a maximum carapace length of 7.2 inches. It has red markings on the marginal scutes and a notched upper jaw. The carapace is smooth, oval, and flattened, with the highest and widest points at the center. The back edge of the shell is not serrated. The carapace is olive to black with yellow or red borders along the seams and red bars or crescents on the marginals. Juveniles are patterned and colored as adults. The carapace is usually round for the first two years of life and elongation occurs thereafter. This species may be confused with other basking turtles when viewed from a distance. Pseudemys rubriventris and P. concinna lack the two yellow spots on the head, and are usually much larger, and have highly-domed shells compared to painted turtles. T. scripta scripta has distinct indentations along the posterior margin of the carapace and an elongated yellow bar on the side of the head. The introduced red-eared slider (T. s. elegans) has an elongated, reddish patch behind the eye. The painted turtle is most active between March and October, but it may be seen basking on warm winter days. It hibernates under logs or stumps underwater, or in muskrat or beaver lodges. Females nest on land, usually around April, and the eggs incubate for about 75 days.

Polar Bear and Cub

2008-01-03T18:32:00.001-08:00

Channel Catfish (with manhands)

2008-01-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

Catfish that was caught from the Potomac river in MD being gently grasped by Timmy. A rather quick sketch.

Galapagos Marine Iguana

2008-01-01T20:08:00.001-08:00

Excerpt from www.rit.edu:

Perhaps no member of the Galapagos fauna has met with as much revulsion by historic visitors as the marine iguana, Amblyrhynchus cristatus. In 1798, Captain James Colnett wrote:

"The guanas are small, and of a sooty black, which, if possible, heightens their native ugliness. Indeed, so disgusting is their appearance, that no one on board could be prevailed on, to take them as food."

Indeed, even Darwin himself was much replused by it, calling it "a hideous-looking creature, of a dirty black colour, stupid, and sluggish in its movements."

In his diary, he noted that :
"The black Lava rocks on the beach are frequented by large (2-3 ft) most disgusting clumsy Lizards. They are as black as the porous rocks over which they crawl & seek their prey from the Sea. Somebody calls them 'imps of darkness'. They assuredly well become the land they inhabit."

Darwin can suck it... These guys are awesome!

Ibex in the snow

2007-12-30T20:55:00.001-08:00

This is an Ibex. If you don't know what an Ibex is, ask Mr. Google. I like their horns, and the fact that this one is standing in the snow (No need to draw hooves or goatlike ankles).

Red Fox Chasing Mouse

2007-12-30T13:05:00.001-08:00

I'm not to happy with this one, but it turned out okay for a quickee. I'll probably Do another aminal or two tonight to catch up.

American Kestrel (Falcon)

2007-12-27T17:41:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite local raptors. These little birds of prey are only about the size of a robin or other small bird. I drawed him purty fast.

An Animal A Day... Daily Animal Studies Begin

2007-12-26T19:14:00.002-08:00

So here goes nuthin...

This is my first attempt at a blog of any kind here on the world wide webs. I've started this thing as an attempt to stay motivated at a daily sketchbook of sorts. I've been inspired by many people out there who have attempted similar feats (and have gone above and beyond normal human abilities doing so) like Android’s Self Portrait of the Day, and others. Recently I discovered an illustrator by the name of Jennifer Rae Atkins who is going to attempt to draw every mammal on earth. If these mere mortals can perform such amazing feats, my sorry ass can draw at least one animal a day.

Below you will see that I have started. The first four were done between Christmas day and the day after. A little background on my technique... I don’t draw much traditionally anymore (unless my lazy arse makes it into Saturday morning figure drawing sessions). I recently picked up a Wacom Cintiq 12wx drawing tablet/monitor, and frankly it’s the best hardware addition to my digital art arsenal. I am doing these animal studies start-to-finish on my Mac, using the Cintiq, Corel Painter, and maybe a lil’ bit o’ Photoshop to size and export for web. I find an image of the animal I would like to draw on Google image search, and keep it on my primary monitor for reference (No tracing!). I used a Wacom Intuos 3 tablet for years and honestly I could never do a soup-to-nuts (I like hyphenated cliché phrases) dawning totally and painlessly on the puter. I know a lot of people out there are looking for reviews and info on the new Cintiq 12wx, so if anyone wants any feedback drop me a line. I would be glad to offer mine.

Baby Seal

Baldigle

White Tail Deer

Bengal Tiger

More to come soon!