Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Boring Hide

Everything and everyone has two sides. Star Wars knows this, as do the zen teachings of yin and yang, as does the story of the great Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde; and all reveal to us the nature of those two sides. A light side and a dark side. An inside and an outside (obviously the inside is the dark side, since light can't pass through flesh and bone). To get to know someone, you must understand them fully - to the core, the marrow, whatever you'd like to call it. This is the relationship I have developed with a good friend of mine: the ever stellar Steller Sea Lion.

Sure she's plain on the outside, with a drab brown coating of fur and fins streamlined for moving through the water like a torpedo of blubber. But there is so much more to this marine mammal than a boring hide. What hides under this hulking beast's rippling layers of fat and tissue is not one but two inner layers of innards. Lurking beneath the surface lie the muscles and the bone.

"Tan Your Own Hide, Steller Sea Lion Skin Layer." Eumetopias jubatus. 2011. Colored pencil on film.

Were I to arm wrestle my friend the sea lion, I would surely be defeated simply because of the sheer volume of this beast's muscle fibers. Not to mention how slippery their flippery are. Plus, they are related to bears. Massive pectoral and dorsal muscles work in concert with the shoulder to power through the ocean's depths. And the construction of that actin action and myosin movement are informed by the form and function of the deepest layer of this deepwater creature.

"More Fun Than A Bundle of Sinew, Steller Sea Lion Muscle Layer." Eumetopias jubatus. 2011. Colored pencil on film.

The skeleton is an ossified masterpiece of evolutionary ingenuity. A jigsaw puzzle of calcified fortification enables these paradoxically amphibious mammals to be free in the sea and yet stand on land. Massive scapula bones provide excellent attachment sites for plenty of muscles to do their flexing and extending for swimming in water and hobbling about on shore.

"Baring the Load-Bearing Bars of the Bear Cousin, Steller Sea Lion Skeleton Layer." Eumetopias jubatus. 2011. Colored pencil & gouache on film.

Taken on its own, each piece of this sea-worthy vessel is a beauty to behold. But in concert, the cogs fall into place and turn in unison, keeping time with the pace of life. And from this symphony emerges the necessity of inner and outer sides. The requisite existence of both light and dark is revealed.

"Sea-Through Lion Layers, Steller Sea Lion 3-Layer Composite." Eumetopias jubatus. 2011. Colored pencil & gouache on film.

An Acute Arboreal Affliction

In light of the recent works completed for my science illustration classes, it is safe to say that I have developed an interest in the world held high up in the treetops. In a life devoted to swinging through the canopy, furry mammals have adapted quite beautifully to such lofty lifestyles. Maybe I am jealous of their tree climbing prowess. Or perhaps I am just smitten with the idea of going out on a limb, taking a leap, and reaching for your dreams? The world may never know.*

SLOTH: A Deadly Sin? Or Synonym for Deadly?

The three-toed sloth. An arboreal stealth creature that ever so slowly creeps through dense forest foliage. Lurking. Waiting. Watching.

"Slow Twitchin': The Saga of the Sloth." Bradypus variegatus. 2011. Scratchboard.

Don't be fooled by this agile beast; it may grow moss in its fur but this is only to help it secure its title as one of the jungle's most dangerous leaf assassins. The chlorophyll-filled canopy is made all the more perilous by the peerless peresozo. These sleeper cells spend their days sleeping and silently stalking cellulose stalks: ever so patiently sneaking up on their leafy prey before cramming clawfuls of the unsuspecting Cecropiaceae into their gaping maw.

ORANGUTANGO: Dance of the Gods

Behold the rhythmic swaying of the branches, the tender touch when paw meets vine, the gentle swishing of leaves and breaking of branches as hundreds of pounds of primate crash through canopy. It can signal nothing other than the sweet music and dance of the Orangutango.

"OranguTangled: Monkeying Around On High." Pongo pygmaeus. 2011. Watercolor on board.

The Red Ape of Indonesia holds a near and dear place in my heart, with her curved phalanges, bright shock of hair, and the air of indifference as she sails through the air with greatest of ease. This smart simian knows where life's at: living on an island nation in the balmy South Pacific in one of the last great rainforests still complete with its own elephants, rhinos, and even the occasional tiger. Talk about living life on the edge! But it certainly helps to gain some perspective on prospective predators by hanging out up near the sky. Tangled vines and gnarled bark prove no match for this ape's lanky limbs and opposable digits on both hands and feet. Who needs a prehensile tail when you can open fruit with your feet?

*Does the world know that it is an oyster? Let alone that it is your oyster? It's quite the bipolar bivalve, that Earth is.

Crocodillydallying

I have a deep respect for my elders. This respect applies to my evolutionary counterparts as well as rad grandpas. Alligators and sharks are the first that come to mind as being the ultimate crotchety old gents. I see the shark as a brackish curmudgeon, keeping to his hermit ways and stoic tendencies. The alligator is more gregarious; he's the old cad hanging around town fraternizing with the pretty little birdies and flashing his toothy smile. This snaggletooth lounging around the watering hole on the bayou has more layers than meets the eye. Aside from his hard-skinned outer appearances, he's also got a softer side, with far more ligament attachments. And then he has a deep, robust foundation that moors all his sinews. Most people would call these his muscle layer and skeletal profile, respectively, but what can I say - I'm a romantic. And I like to see the best in other creatures' anatomy.

SKELETAL:

"Bare Bones, Alligator mississippiensis Preliminary Tracing." (2011), pencil.

MUSCULAR:

"Check Out Them Chompers, Alligator mississippiensis Preliminary Tracings: Jaw Muscle Attachment & Layering." (2011), colored pencil.

EXTERNAL:

"Defense & Sunscreen, Alligator mississippiensis Preliminary Tracing." (2011), pencil.

COMPOSITE:

"Smiling With Your Eyes, Muscles, & Pearly Whites, Alligator mississippiensis Preliminary Composite." (2011) pencil & CS5 Adobe Illustrator.

This last one is an idea of what the final project will look like once I combine the lovely layers of the alligator's alluring personality. (But finishing the final is where the dillydallying comes into play). With connections like this, it is no wonder the American Alligator has been able to chomp down and hold onto its place in history for so long! May he enjoy spending his retirement cruising around the marshes, in the Happy Ever (After) Glades.

Technicolor Technicalities

The Ant and I are friends, but only one of us has antennae. (And it is not I) Mrs. Myrmex & Homo sapi-Me share many things in life: a high degree of sociality, joy in the act of building houses, living in cities -- but, above all, we share a fondness for picnics. The perennial plethora of platters perused while planted on your posterior in the park adds an element of fresh air fun to any food fiesta. And that scented sky helps to direct legions of Formicidae to the checkered blanket by way of following pheromones with those specialized antennae! (Scent trails always stymie stealthy summer snacking)

Antenna are pretty sensational sense organs and they come in all different shapes and sizes! For one of my final introductory illustrations, I looked at the antennae of the Chinese Golden Stag Beetle. He rocks the club style, which perhaps alludes to Mr. Massive Mandible's penchant for dancing, or maybe he just thoroughly enjoys a bubbly fizz to his unflavored soda.

"Chinese Golden Stag Beetle, Eye+Antennae Close Up" (2010), pen & ink

But there is so much more to this great exoskeletonized arthropod than meeting his eye... behold the almost-imperceptibly iridescent inflections of ivy, iris, and iron emanating from that insect’s encasement! The contrasting and complementary colors abound, taking flight in the final test of technique: technicolor temperature tweaks. Since cold colors apparently recede and warm colors rise to the forefront in the human eye, this cold-blooded beast acted as the 2D canvas on which I was to play my 3D Prismacolor games.

"Chinese Golden Stag Beetle, Final Rendering" (2010), colored pencil on film

While it is true that I am jealous of the Ant and Beetle’s affixed antennae and pheromone-ferreting finesse, I rest easier at night by remembering that I wield the power of something just as awe-inspiring and painstakingly evolved to fight the battles thrown at me by the natural world: Color Vision. I am armed to perceive any and all rainbows cast in my skies, and I can appreciate every sunset that spills over my picnic blanket. Or the prisms that may pierce my pears...

"Pear Color Study, Temperature" (2010), colored pencil

Plus, if all other defenses fail, my highly dexterous fingers let me use ant-proof containers to keep all my tasty picnic food to myself. Thanks, evolution!

CHICKEN V. SQUID: BATTLE OF THE BEAKED

The fight for illustrated glory was to be fought on a field made not of earth nor ore. Rather, the sparring ring is a place known only to sailors and skycaptains: that faint glimmer on the horizon, that distant shimmer at the world's edge; where The Sky meets The Sea.

Birds fighting Fish. Was the squid to be knocked down the pecking order, or was it the chicken who was going to be schooled? No one could predict the outcome, and frankly - no one could figure out the outcome even after the fight had ended. Since chickens can't swim, and squids turn to heaping gelatinous puddles when removed from water, this showdown sure was hard to host - much less officiate. The crowds feared the match may go the way of the infamous Apples V. Oranges battle of decades past, where a winner was never named, and the uncomparable fruits of the fighters' labor rotted in the judiciary sun.

This challenge was to tackle two tasks in tandem. In Monday night's corner: one highly detailed and accurate rendering of a chicken skull, and due on Wednesday: one free-flowing watercolor-blasted impression of a squid in perspective. Here are snapshots of the contenders taken during the epic battle.

Representing the Featherweight Class:

"Avian Skull, Final Rendering" (2010), graphite [poster mock-up]

Gallus gallus domesticus (The Domesticated Chicken)

Anatomically accurate and structurally sound, this cock flew in ready to fight. No, really, it's a fighting cock! It is a breed called the Aseel Chicken. Notice its enlarged supraocular bones (labeled) to help protect its vulnerable eyes from being battered by its opponent's beak during battle! Evolved with a point in mind.

And representing the Heavyweight Class [or, Heavier-when-wet Class]:

"Squid Watercolor, Final Rendering" (2010), watercolor

Loligo opalescens (The Opalescent Inshore Squid)

Smart and slimy, this aquatic adversary uses jet propulsion to move quickly in seaworld skirmishes. Simply by being cousins with the octopus and the cuttlefish already makes this marine mate cooler than most; and that's even before talking about tentacles! Watch out for that sucker punch.

But, to tone it down: mastering the shadowy nature of value scales is enough of a gray area in its own right. To add color is to truly add fuel (and fuchsia) to the fires of frustration. Achieving depth without darkness can be the greatest of conundrums. Until you see the light! Ah, the good ol' visual light spectrum, showering us in waves of profound and punishingly-pure prisms. But perhaps all this small talk is just my enlightened way of providing some foreshadowing for my next pun-smattered post... which'll be in technicolor!

Bridging the Spinal Gap & Getting Vertebral

This week we take a moment to celebrate the differences and similarities between vertebrates & invertebrates. Ah, the beauty of diversity! Being different but equally awesome!

The Invertebrate: The Fiddler Crab Strikes Back (sans backbone). Did you know the fiddler crab gets its name from the back-and-forth motion its wimpy claw makes while eating; it makes it look like the crab is playing the fiddle on his big claw!

"Fiddler Crab, Finished Sketch" (2010), graphite

"Fiddler Crab, Final Rendering" (2010), carbon dust & ink [poster mock up!]

The Vertebrate: A Piece of the Feline Spine. The first similarity that comes to mind when I think of crabs and cats is that both of them have claws. And both are adjectives used to describe bad moods (maybe there's a correlation with the claw thing). Then it gets fuzzier... cats stalk, but crabs have eyestalks?

"Cat Vertebra" (2010), scratchboard

As a preview of the next few projects in the works, think along the lines of an action movie called "Chicken V. Squid: Fight to the (Second) Death!" Who will win? Can cephalopods finally outwit their terrestrial nemesis, the avians?? Now, come on, you already know what the outcome will be. It's a draw! My drawings, to be exact. One preserved squid & one chicken skull, comin right up.

Quick! We Must Go Back in Time! And Underwater...

Gastropods, cephalopods, and crustaceans ... oh my! The Little Mermaid probably sang duets with each of these creatures during their lifetimes Under the Sea.

"Moon Shell" (2010), graphite

... Each little snail here know how to wail here, that's why it's hotter under the water ...

"Ammonite" (2010), carbon dust

... Just look at the world around you, right here on the ocean floor...

"Fiddler Crab" (2010), graphite

... What do they got? A lot of sand; we got a hot crustacean band ...