Animal Blog

Sketch to start the day!

2011-06-09T09:44:00.001-07:00

Batty

2011-05-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

These guys are for Jen...who LOVES bats, and all bat related things! ;o)

Funnymingos!

2011-05-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! ;o) Sorry for the long absence...*insert lame excuse here* Here are some gangly birds I sketched up after watching Disney's documentary about flamingos - very interesting, but at parts VERY SAD! http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/disneynature-crimson-wing.html

Happy Year of the Rabbit!

2011-02-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

Lucky rabbit FEET?! Haha. This guy ended up having ginormous hind feet...he looks a little like a kangaroo! He's a wily old hare though, so he needs them to spring off when farmer Joe realizes he's been at the cabbages again...

Meet Mr. Dodo

2011-01-06T19:24:00.001-08:00

Meet Bob

2010-12-16T15:15:00.001-08:00

He loves to bob bob bob around in the harbor near the Long Beach Aquarium!

Durrrrrrrrrrrr

2010-12-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

Racin' hounds

2010-09-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

Hummmmmm!

2010-09-19T14:01:00.001-07:00

Lately I've been fascinated by these little guys. More sketches to come...

D'ya like dags?

2010-09-15T15:07:00.001-07:00

The Nine Sons of the Dragon

2010-08-31T18:51:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! These are the first sketches for my new project, to design each of the nine mythological "sons" of the Chinese dragon. Each son is the guardian of a variety of different aspects of life, such as luck, love, etc ;o) I find this myth particularly attractive, as it involves the mash-up of a bunch of different types of animals. However, the theme of the dragon runs throughout each son's appearance, whether its scales or claws or whatever! This is the first of Dragon's nine sons, the Qi-Lin, or the Chinese unicorn. According to legend, it has the body of a deer, the head of a dragon, scales like a lizard, and a bear's tail!!! Anyways, should be fun to see where this ends up! As usual, thanks for stopping by!

Hippos...

2010-08-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

...Surprisingly pink on the bottom!

Coupla zzzzzzzzzzzbras

2010-08-27T12:02:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder whether they're white with black stripes or the other way around? Wikipedia reveals all: "It was previously believed that zebras were white animals with black stripes, since some zebras have white underbellies. Embryological evidence, however, shows that the animal's background color is dark and the white stripes and bellies are additions." HUZZAH! One universe question down...many more to go.

Messing around with a square brush...

2010-08-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

Much angrier! Haha.

BAWKbawkbawkbawk

2010-08-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

Meowzers

2010-08-25T10:49:00.001-07:00

Just havin' some fun drawing more cats. *SNEEZE*

RAWR!

2010-08-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

More cats!

2010-08-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

Guess its cat week ;o)

The King!

2010-08-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Goooooood morning!

2010-07-27T12:53:00.001-07:00

Back from San Diego Con!!!

2010-07-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

As a first timer, I gotta say- IT WAS AWESOME! ;o) I saw so much mind blowing art and met some of my favorite artists- can't wait to go back next year!

Warm ups

2010-07-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

AAAAHHH!!! Sorry about the lack of posts recently- still settling into the new place! Here's a few quick penguin sketches! ;o)

Sheep shoops

2010-05-18T17:19:00.001-07:00

Why is a single sheep and many sheep called the same thing!? They should be called shoops when theres just one!

Sketchies

2010-04-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

Girls on Reindeers!

2010-04-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

A few thumbnails I did for a Hans Christian Anderson story, the Snow Queen!

Some things that are cute...and some that are not.

2010-04-21T20:46:00.001-07:00

Komodo dragon

2010-02-01T16:56:00.001-08:00

RAWR

Clouded leopard (+extra big tail)

2010-01-29T16:37:00.001-08:00

Haha I'm such a fan of their huge tails, I decided to enhance it even MORREEE in my sketch ;o) Hope you enjoy!

Dillos!

2010-01-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

Wild horses

2010-01-26T22:01:00.000-08:00

What can I say, I love ponies ;o)

Koalas

2010-01-25T18:13:00.001-08:00

'MINGOS!

2010-01-21T16:34:00.000-08:00

Dobie again

2009-11-18T10:24:00.001-08:00

I just can't get enough of these cool looking dogs! ;o)

Dobie

2009-11-16T15:37:00.001-08:00

Woof woof! I'm gonna get me one of theeeseeee! ;oD

Shags

2009-09-23T18:59:00.001-07:00

A quick fur study for shaggy ponies living in the cold places of the world. I decided to give him a yellow eye on cause man, I want yellow eyes.

Indian Runner Ducks

2009-09-15T12:31:00.001-07:00

These ducks are HILARIOUS. Look how they run!!!

Big nose

2009-09-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know why people think hyenas are "ugly". Its probably because of the stumpy back legs I suppose...but really they have very handsome faces. And nice spots on their coats. I like them!

COSMONOTTERS!

2009-08-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry about the long absence- hopefully I will be posting more regularly from here on out ;o) Here is a sample of a personal project I'm working on called "Cosmonotters", an epic story about a band of Russian space otters bravely exploring the outer reaches of the universe. Style inspired by one of my faves, Calum Alexander Watt.

Aardvarks

2009-07-30T12:03:00.001-07:00

They're so wrinkly! Thats why I like them! ;oD

Horsie

2009-07-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

Elephant

2009-07-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

A Humble Tribute...

2009-07-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

...To one of my greatest inspirations, Claire Wendling.

Nutty

2009-07-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hehehehe...

Mr. Speed

2009-07-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Stretching out the old drawing hand after a two week vacation. *Finger joints popping* RAWR.

To my faithful followers! ;o)

2009-06-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the scantiness of the posts lately! I've been quite busy at work, and promise to start up every day again beginning next week. Sorry!

Sorry for the absence...

2009-06-18T13:14:00.001-07:00

Work has had me a little tied up ;o) But here is a spider monkey to make up for it! YAY!

One Hump, Two Hump...

2009-06-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

Warty

2009-06-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

...was a warthog. He enjoyed Fridays immensely, because this meant a weekend of mud bathing and swatting flies lay before him. Hip hip, hooray!

Wolves

2009-06-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back --
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.

Teeny Weeny

2009-06-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

The other day at lunch, my art director told an epic tale of how he was once bit by a vicious shrew. Being curious, I went back to my computer and looked up this fierce predator...only to find that shrews are probably one of the tiniest mammals alive. Literally, they are the size of a quarter. Um. They are also incredibly adorable. Hm. Puzzling.

Maned Wolf

2009-06-03T16:28:00.001-07:00

Wow. I mean, this has GOT to be one of the most legit animals on the face of the Earth. Its a wolf. With a mane. WIZARD. If I had to pick an animal to eat me alive, it would probably be this one (knock on wood that this never actually happens.) Umm...wow. I think this wolf is too cool for me.

Sweet Dreams

2009-06-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be awesome to fall asleep on a big fat polar bear swimming through the night sky? I think so...;o)

Best Friends! ;o)

2009-05-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

'Nuff said. Saw this photo and couldn't resist! ;oD

Prismacolor Pens

2009-05-28T16:45:00.001-07:00

...are pretty much the shiz! LOOOOVVEEEE YOUUU PRRRISMMAAACOOLOOORRR! I also love you Faber-Castell, but please bring your prices down. And Micron, you're awesome as well, but you run out of ink too fast. That is all! ;oD

Mr. Wolf Eel

2009-05-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Two words. Scary. Mofo.

Back from Break

2009-05-26T17:23:00.001-07:00

Okay, sorry for the long absence everyone ;o) Just had a busy week at work last week, and a nice long weekend to make up for it...but thats all okay, cause I'm back now! I know I recently posted another iguana, but I had a dream this morning about an iguana ambushing people in downtown Seattle. Seriously. Don't ask me how...but that led me to thinking about sleeping iguanas, so here he is ;o)

Bandits!

2009-05-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

Omg!

Little Deer

2009-05-15T17:26:00.001-07:00

I recently discovered this rare little breed of deer that lives in the mist-veiled mountains of China- how delicate they are!!! How small their hooves are!!! How exquisite their tiny noses are!!! I have a special fondness for deer after Disney's Bambi (probably the most watched movie of my life) and these deer definitely make it up to the top of my list. Like everything else in China, these dainty creatures are way cooler than their giant American counterparts. Just kidding ;o)

Red

2009-05-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

"Say, got any corn?"

2009-05-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

Hmm, although I guess thats a crow in the book who is talking to Bran (kudos to those of you who know what I'm talking about! ;oD) So I guess this could be one of Maester Aemon's brood. Either way, I hear ravens make excellent pets, as they are a) really sweet looking and b) really smart. Ahem. WANT ONE.

Lil Gorilla

2009-05-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

Cute hoppy marsupial...or harbinger of death?!

2009-05-08T14:01:00.001-07:00

So, upon first impression...kangaroos would probably be filed under the "cute" category. I mean, they have flopsy ears and a long funny tail and jump around all day. Not very threatening, right? WRONG. FURTHER INSPECTION reveals just how ridiculously RIPPED they are. Have you ever seen a kangaroo's thigh muscles? Also, they have ONE GIANT CLAW on each foot that could stab a hole through the ozone layer. They are also way mangier than I remembered...look at this guy! Doesn't he look like he just wants to kill something? Can't you see the hatred in those beady, souless eyes?

...Okay so maybe I should sick one of these roos on the jerk face who smashed my rear windshield in last night. Kangaroo claw through the eye! (Just kidding, that would be terrible.)

Mr. Beak

2009-05-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

WOAH. Did you know that octopi can fit through anything that their hard beak can fit through? That is CRAZY! Their beak is like this big! Actually even tinier than that, blogger just wouldn't let me use such a small font size. Woweeeeeeee. I also enjoy their multiple valve thingies that suck in/let out water...oh and also how bumpy they are, but in a really soft bumpy way. Not hard bumpy like an armadillo. Here is a sweet video of an octopus, hope you enjoy ;o)

Brrrrr!

2009-05-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

Yay! Sorry for my absence online yesterday, got caught up at work and before I knew it, it was already the end of the day! Promise it won't happen again ;o) Anyhoo, today's post is a little protest against the dreary weather we've been having in Seattle lately. US COLD BLOODED CREATURES DEMAND SPRING SUNSHINE! GAR! And by cold blooded, I don't mean villainous, I just mean that I have a low core temperature and need a heat rock. I think I'll go into hibernation til summer...SNOOZLE.

Giraffe

2009-05-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

*yawn* Monday.

For Mom

2009-05-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

Clearly, I must have gotten my love of animals from my Dad, because my mom really doesn't like them at all! Apparently, two froggies have taken up residence in the little pond in our front yard, and keep her up all night with their froggy voices. Personally, I love a chorus of ribbits, but not my mom! Finally fed up with all the noise, she got out of bed, grabbed a stick, and proceeded to go frog hunting in the middle of the night (with the intent to kill...MOOOMMM!!! HOW COULD YOU!?!?!) Anyways, fortunately she was unsuccessful, and as soon as she went back indoors, the serenading began again. Poor mom...if only she loved frogs as much as I do! ;o) These frogs are for her- Love you mom ;o)

Lunch Sketchie

2009-04-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

Bloop! ;o) (Its a bobcat!)

Raymond

2009-04-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

This poley bear is dedicated to a certain Raymond...who looks much like a bear (in the best and most flattering of ways), and believes in walking slow. Which is definitely what polar bears do when given the opportunity. I think they also enjoy napping in cars and clam chowder. ;o)

Take Me To Your Leader

2009-04-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

Toucans remind me of aliens. Just look at their unearthly colors! They're basically a flying neon disco ball...aka UFO!!! I will have to remember to be careful around the toucan exhibit at the zoo next time I visit...lest I get beamed up. Although that kind of sounds like fun...

Bawr Bawr!

2009-04-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

Now, upon first glance, you might be saying to yourself "This girl is on crack! No bear is THAT shaggy!" But you would be WRONG! There is such a furry beast in the world! Check out google images for "sloth bear". You will see that I am 100% in the right, and that these fantastically huggable bears DO exist. My feelings about these bears can be summed up in one short word.

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;o)

On a sadder note, the population of these AWESOME bears has been greatly diminished due to poaching (WTF NOT OKAY WITH THAT), so if you want to support the cause then check out this website. W0rd.

I Love Fishies

2009-04-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend was so much fun that I didn't have a ton of energy for today's animal...so I gave him a little color to hide the fact that he's a lazy Monday kind of a sketch ;o) I wish grown ups still had a designated nap time like kids do in kindergarten. This system is totally backward! Little kids don't need naps! They already get plenty of sleep! Take me on the other hand...I could really use one...

ZzzzZZZzzzZZZzz

For Mike...

2009-04-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

...because he loves simplicity ;o) And because its Friday, and sunny, and Christine doesn't want to be in her office!

Happy Friday!

2009-04-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

The three dogs above are from the vault...but they barked at me when I was posting the two below, so I decided to include them anyways ;o)

I love the Woodland Park Zoo's description of these sweet looking dogs, "Like Monet, but mangier." HAHA! So true! They have the most amazing patterned fur (no two alike...wow)! Not to mention their gigantic satellite dish shaped ears and their loooonnnggg lanky legs built for speed- watching them run is probably one of the coolest things ever. For those of you in the Seattle area, go visit them and see for yourselves! ;o)

NOTE: The penguin exhibit opens at the zoo next weekend! EXCIIITTEEEDD!!!

Mongolia

2009-04-23T09:45:00.001-07:00

...So maybe I should change this blog to, at LEAST one animal per day...haha. Oh well. Sooner or later I'll start running out of steam, so I figure an extra post here or there will make up for it ;o) Here's a pencil study and a quick brush sketch that I did a while ago. I'm obsessed with these Przewalksi horses...THEY ARE COOL AS HELL! Someday I'm going to go live in a yurt in Mongolia, drink vodka and yak's milk, and ride the steppes on the trail of Ghengis Khan. PS If you've never seen the movie "Mongol"...I can't be your friend.

T is for Ty-ger

2009-04-23T09:35:00.001-07:00

There is something about adolescent animals that haven't yet grown into their adult sized paws that sends a little squiggle of joy up and down my spine...hehe! Last winter I was fortunate enough to visit the largest Siberian tiger reserve in the world located in Harbin, China, and thats where I took the photo reference for this sketch. Did you know that all tigers have a similar marking on their forehead which resembles the Chinese symbol Wang, meaning "King"? Guess we know who the real king of the jungle is now...RAWWRRRR!!! ;o)

On the same subject...

2009-04-22T12:09:00.001-07:00

...Okay, so I know I said one per day, but I couldn't resist posting another type of TOES that I simply adore-chameleon toes! HOW DO THEY WORK!?!?!? And why do chameleons look so nervous/terrified all the time? Haha. What a world we live in.

Oats and Glitter

2009-04-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! ;o) And welcome to my blog, where I will (hopefully) be adding a new animal every 24 hours. My first post is dedicated to a certain reindeer in LA...has anyone ever noticed the TOES on a reindeer? They are gigantic! I wonder what it feels like to stand on saucer feet like that...in any case, on Comet, on Cupid, on Donder and Blitzen! ;o)

FUN FACT: Reindeer acquire their amazing ability to fly by eat glitter-spiked oats. Fascinating!