Painting the souslik - 25th - 27th March

Monday 25th

This week was mostly about painting the European souslik Spermophilus citellus but I had a few other little jobs that came up too, creating a handful of nice little breaks away from the illustration to stretch my legs and get some of that bracing cold fresh air. This week has been another cold one with bitter winds chilling the temperature below the average for this time of year. Although Spring is trying to push its head above the cold snap, it is struggling and all the frog spawn we had back in February and early March has disappeared, killed by  the frost and ice and eaten by the ducks, no doubt. The trees are starting to break bud and some spring blossoms are showing their first hint of colour.

Last week I had noticed a couple of ID's that were curling on the Flamingo Paddock ID sign holders, so I went up and added some more double sided tape to hold them down temporarily until next week when I do my next ID sweep. Whilst in the paddock I checked the ruff plumage... again I found only one bird so when I returned to the studio I emailed the bird section to ask about the status of the ruff. The answer I got was we now have only one ruff, a male, and he will be going on to another collection or off show probably this year as they want to concentrate on the redshank and build them up in the collection. So I shall continue to keep an eye on the ruff for now, as he may still change over to his breeding plumage before he gets moved on.

Another little job waiting on my desk was a pile of printed signs, which Phil had left for me to attach velcro strips ready for them to go up around the grounds. Once that was done I then got down to drawing the souslik.

I don't really like to draw or illustrate an animal without having seen it first, but sometimes that is not always possible at the time the illustration needs to be done. I have a list of species waiting to be illustrated but this species gets to jump the queue, as it is deemed to be a more 'visible and prominent species to the public' and likely to be a popular animal to view so it gets prioritised ahead of turtles and lizards (which are the ones waiting to be done). This is sad in many ways but it's the way of the public.. a cute furry rodent is going to be noticed more that a turtle or lizard to the majority of the visitors. So it has to have its ID sign quicker. As these animals aren't even in yet but likely to arrive in a few weeks I couldn't actually view a living example to get a feel for them and take my own reference. Relying instead on photos gathered from the internet I printed a sheet of images giving me a selection to do my drawing by. I can't copy one photo straight off the internet as that may infringe a company or photographer's copyright. So I gather a selection to take bits from to make a new posture.  

In this case the main part of the posture comes from the largest photo on this page and then I raise a paw and put the tail in a different position to make it not a copy of the image. Also I will use other images to get the colouration of the animal, rather than copying the photo slavishly. 

At the end of the day I cut a piece of watercolour paper (33 0 x 205mm)and transfer the outline to it with tracing paper. Then I start playing with the background to imply grassland... I had several attempts before I settled on a light background with just a hint of grasses implied.. this was mostly done by wet into wet layering of colour. 

Tuesday 26th

After reading information about the animal I decided to have the souslik standing on soil. They burrow in soils that are light and easily diggable, to build their complex burrow systems; so I used the main image on my photo sheet, as my point of reference also for the ground. But how was I going to approach doing the soil effect?

I started off by painting the area with a darkish purple brown. On to this I stipple a neutral 'light stone' colour as randomly as I can whilst covering almost all the base colour. 

I am going to build up the soil effect with layers of stippling and colour. Gradually lightening the colour as I progress with each layer. As I progress I also watch how the random placing of the stippling creates light and dark areas and I build on these to create dips and shadows in the soil.

I keep building the colours on top of each other without completely obliterating the under colours... this adds depth and texture. I also get extra texture but occasionally applying the colour with a dry brush stroke, getting a fineness to blend the stippling brush marks together.

  

In this close up done towards the end of the process you can see the stipples and grainy effects of the brush marks. I also added in some larger 'lumps' of  light colour to imply small stones and added shadow to the right hand side, again trying to be random and not think too orderly.

In all I put on about 10 or 11 layers of colour. I finished the soil off by adding some flicks and lines to imply twiggy bits and pieces and also added one little plant shoot in the bottom left of the illustration. This just breaks up the expanse of soil and adds another element of colour.

With the soil done I now start thinking of the animal. First I need to 'sit' it onto the soil so I put a wash of green blue as the shadow. Painting over the soil but having the wash transparent so that the grains still show through. Over this 'shadow patch' I then put another wash of blue purple (once the other colour is completely dry) and add more strength to the colour where the animal's body touches the ground. I finally put in some 'darks' immediately under the animals feet and body and add a few little dark and light highlights to the shadow area to 'lift' the texture. 

Also today I put in a replacement ID sign for the golden-headed lion tamarins as their ID sign went missing. Luckily I didn't have to print and laminate a sign as I already had one ready in my file cabinet.

Some more dino stuff went up today. We have a small room that is used as a 'kids party room'. It can be hired out for birthdays and other kiddie celebrations and has a mural of cartoon animals around the walls (painted by Emily Trotter) and also a few cartoon dinosaurs which are the creations of another zoo employee, Sam Church. He does fabulous illustrations and a number of his dino creations have been printed onto banner material to adhere to the windows of the party room. This not only gives the room an enclosed private feel  but also adds a great display of decoration to the room. This is just one of the banners.

These banners are printed and made so that they stick to the windows.. applying them to the glass takes patience and care to avoid getting 'bubbles' under the surface. These pockets of air need to be smoothed out or when necessary 'stabbed' with a scaple to create a hole for the air to escape and the material to be pressed smooth and flat. In all there were four windows with top and bottom sections to apply. Phil and myself tackled this in the morning - Phil placing the banners and myself smoothing out the bubbles.

Wednesday 27th

Today I painted the souslik itself. . As I mentioned in Monday's entry I used other images to get the colouration. I went back to the internet to look at the array of images and picked out those that suited the colouration I wanted. It is difficult when you haven't seen the animal to get this spot on, but after talking with the Simon, one of the keepers on the mammal section who is my contact for this species, the plan was that I would paint it as best I could and then when the animals arrive I can make alterations to the illustration where necessary. One of the things I had queried was the tail.. on some images there are noticeably white tips to the hairs at the end of the tail, although not enough to say that the tail had a white tip. Was this an individual trait or a regional one? An age or sex difference related variation within the species? I could find nothing to answer that question so that is one thing that will have to wait until I see the animals themselves. 

An animal's colouration can look different for many reasons.. such as being in varying light conditions, the environment it is in or the age or sex of the individual... I looked through the reference photo's I had now gathered and decided I would base my illustration mostly on the animal in the top left corner. The other photo's would give me a reminder of the variations.

Next I spent some time mixing a variety of colours as my 'palette' from which I shall base the colours of the animal.

Then I start on the wee beastie... I block in a base colour or two adding a basic indication of some features like the eye, ear and mouth and then I started with the area in shadow.

Then I work on laying in the foundation of the fur direction and incorporate the slight banding that appears on the back.

Then I just  gradually build up the fur layers with colour and direction.

 I finished the illustration by late afternoon and arranged to meet Simon for him to check it. He was happy with it, so I can go ahead with the rest of the process in making the ID sign. Back in the studio I scanned in the image  and opening the mammal ID sign template made a new document for this species adding the common and scientific names and the illustration. I am waiting on the Education section to do the text for this species, so once I have that I can complete the sign and print it ready to put up when the animals arrive.

Friday 22nd

Tomorrow is the official opening of the DinoZoo2 for the summer, so this week the signs have come in for the various dino exhibits. These were designed by Anna, my work colleague, she is one of a team of two graphic designers at the zoo. The other being Phil, our Line Manager and Head of Graphics.  There are signs for to ID each dino, 'Please don't touch our dino', 'Beware of falling asteroids' and a few other jokey 'red triangle warning signs, some dino jokes and in some of the loo's there will be 'Please wash your claws'.

These had to be all up by Friday closing, plus the zoo changes to summer opening times so various signs on the animal houses had to be changed to show the later closing times... from 4.30pm to 5pm. I had some hours to make up from time I had to take off recently, so I came in on Friday afternoon for 3 hours to help Phil put the last of the signs up and change over the animal house signs.

It was a drizzly rainy afternoon and a bit chilly so I was glad I had wrapped up sufficiently in thermals and waterproof coat. I started off helping Phil put up the last of the ID signs before going round the ladies and disabled toilets putting up the 'Please wash your claw' signs. Then I went back to Phil as he made his way around the zoo with a wheelbarrow full of signs, nipping off to put up odd signs here and there. I got help from Kevin in the Maintenance Department to put up some signs in the two car parks... these needed to be attached to walls so he came round with a masonry drill whilst I decided where they went and checked they were attached straight.

Back to catch up with Phil and then last job was to change over the animal house signs... then back to the studio for a drink and check emails before going home.

On my way out of the zoo I stopped to take some photo's of the signs etc for this blog and couldn't resist getting Joe, the Maintenance Manager (who was still working getting everything ready with his team), to  pose with Quetzalcoatlus. 

Wednesday 20th

I took the shanny painting over to the off-show fish rooms where I had arranged to meet Sam from the Aquarium. He looked over the shanny illustration, and gave it the 'OK'. I had explained my worries on using less than helpful references and having to piece together bits of scant details and guess the whole, but he was happy with the results. So I took it back to the studio where I scanned it in and did the usual colour adjustments to the black background. Then placed the finished image into the right folder on the computer and then dropped a copy of the image into the ID document. This is the same one that has the flounder on, so now, with the shanny image placed, the sign was complete and ready to print. 

After printing, I trimmed it to size and laminated it, then put double-sided tape to the back and got the sign up on the wall by the tank in Seal and Penguin Coasts just before lunch.

After lunch I went out sketching; my fortnightly 'self-training' session. The weather was cold and overcast so I wrapped up warm again and headed out to find something to inspire me. Because it was cold many of the animals were tucked up in their indoor areas, some of which don't have a convenient area where I could tuck myself out of the way of the public. When I'm at work and out sketching I am very aware that sitting for a period of time in front of an enclosure is an 'obstruction' to the view for our visitors, so I try to sit/position myself somewhere less obstructive. I wandered round the gorilla moat but the gorilla were sensibly inside at that time, so I went on round to the top terrace and looked at the red pandas, sat at the top of their tree again, lucked out on the lion cubs... they were out, but tucked in the vegetation at the back of their enclosure. So on round to the flamingo paddock where I got inspired to sketch the red-breasted goose.. but sadly sitting on my little tripod stool (I forgot my foldaway campers chair) the handrail was perfectly at my eye line.. I had to either duck to see through the glass beneath it or stretch my neck to peer over the top. The goose looked great through the binoculars, but I just couldn't get in a position to comfortably sketch for a while. So I picked up my stool and sketch bag and headed back to the gorilla moat. I settled down on one of the benches tucked in a little bay just off from the pathway Through my binoculars I saw a lovely duck, a hybrid. It looked like it was a mix of pintail, shelduck and maybe mallard. I sat and sketch this duck for about an hour. I just watched it for a long time first, to get a feel subconsciously of it and see what positions it favoured. It was spending its time between little naps and preening.

I started to get cold, so I wandered on and found my friend and colleague, Anna, out and about putting up the signs she designed for the dinosaurs.

This is her putting in the screws to attach the ID sign for T Rex onto a pole. You can see the scale of T Rex behind her. After a quick chat to see how she was getting on... I moved onto to find a warm animal house to sketch in. 

I had the Forest of Bird house in mind, but when I got there it had about 4 gardeners working in it. I looked around and the birds were all up high in the trees at the top of the roof... they were staying out of the gardeners way, so sketching opportunities would be scant, if any. So my next choice was the meerkat house where I tucked myself in the corner and though the afternoon was wearing on and visitor numbers were now thinning out, there was a steady stream coming through. But it was a lovely hour watching the meerkat's behaviour and listening to their constant chatter. 

The house was closed just after 4.30pm, by Jo who works on that section. I headed back to the studio to have a warm drink in the 45 mins before the end of the day. I checked my emails and had a request form sent through from the mammal section for the European souslik, a type of ground squirrel. These are replacing the black-tailed prairie dogs that have been at he zoo ever since I have been there. I don't know why the prairie dogs have gone but the souslik are due to arrive at the beginning of April. So I got straight onto an internet search for souslik images before it was time to go home. They look like cute little critters.

More shanny-gins

Today I spent the whole day painting the shanny, following on from yesterday's progress. I have added some detailing to the head, working on the eye and mouth in particular.

Then onto the body and working on the motley patterning I roughly mark in the darker patches along the body. In my reference photo's I haven't got a good continuous photo of the body length showing the markings... so I have studied several photo's from various fish with slightly different patterns of dots and splodges. Seems they are variable so, hopefully, I got the gist of what the pattern is generally and have can reproduce something that is shanny-like. 

I continue the darker spots and splodges to the caudal fin (tail) and down below the lateral line on the side of the body. I am putting in a few markings on the area where the pectoral fin will be, but not too many as most of this will be painted over opaquely so no point adding detailing there. I also add in some intermediary colour to the body between the main patches of spots, this is a darker green grey mix. It's  a soft colour that just ties things together and I also add a few splodges of much lighter beige to the top of the body in the lighter areas of body markings.

Now I add the rays of the pectoral fin.

 Then add on the darker spots and paint in the translucent skin of the fin using a very thin wash of pale blue and also one of a warm yellow. I add a few highlights to the rays and work the spotting in.

Close up of the finished pectoral fin. You will notice that my detailing is not particularly fine in that I haven't tried to paint in the spot shapes perfectly. This illustration is much bigger than the image on the sign will be seen at, so in the process of reduction these 'rough edges' will disappear to the human eye, being too small to see well, but still giving  the image its detailed look.

Onto the dorsal fin which though essentially looks like two fins is actually a continuous right along the top of the body. I paint the rays in... the first set of rays are like spines and the ones in the second part of the fin are softer. I take the patterns of dark and light again from an amalgamation of several images, seeing what the general patterning is and trying to paint something similar.

Then once the spines are in I add the translucent skin between again using two washes one of a soft blue and one of a warm yellow.

 I add some highlights and make the tops of the rays and skin between lighter. and then paint in the caudal fin laying down a thin wash of blue and then painting the rays on top with the neutral colour mix I have used throughout this illustration. I also put of wash of pale white-ish blue along the top of the head down the nose and along the body in front of the dorsal fin... this helps 'round' the body, adding to the sense of form as light catches the top of the fish.

Dark patterning is added to the tail, taking the same approach with the reference material as I have done with most of this fish.... studying all the photo's and working out a general theme of pattern, colour and hoping my experience can pull it together. 

Next.. the fin that runs along the underside of the body... this is the hardest fin to do as most of the photo's I have do not show this fin... I have a few photo's showing a small part of it, or showing the whole length but the fin is not splayed, and just one or two that show the fin but have completely different light on it and different colours... one has no pattern and the other a hint. So again it's a case of taking a best guess at what it is from the reference I have available. When I take this to Jonny to be checked I can discuss these issues with him and correct it if necessary .

Once the fin is done the fish is finished at this point and now ready to be checked by the animal department... I hope to be able to take this to Jonny tomorrow for his expert eye to be cast across it.

Shanny-gins

Today I started on the shanny blenny - Lipophrys pholis. I had painted the black background last week,  sized my drawing slightly smaller to fit on the paper better and traced it ready to start this week.

After transferring that tracing to the black background I then painted in a base coat of a neutral greyish brown... it is a colour in my palette that I have no idea what colours have gone in over the months even years to make it. 

That's what I like about gouache, it is very economical in that you can mix a batch of colour and if you don't use it all, you just leave it in the pallette - it dries out and stays like that until water is added again... this can be months or even years later and if the colour isn't quite what is needed, more colour(s) can be added. So I have a batch of pallettes that I very rarely clean... I have colours there which I use time and time again, added to with other colours to adapt to whatever illustration I have going, or left because, as with this particular neutral greyish brown, it is perfect as it is for a specific job like a base coat. I have a pallette for brown tones, one for greens and several wih a variety of neutral tones and other colours.  I do, of course have one or two pallettes that are kept clean for things like white mixes. 

Onto my base colour, when it is thoroughly dry (I often wander off to check my emails or do a little job that doesn't take very long - like today I swept around the studio and took the rubbish out) I used a dry brush method to add a layer of a greenish yellow grey... still fairly neutral but just a touch more colour than the base coat. I do this all over the head and body of the shanny. I do this to start creating the motley pattern that this fish skin has (shanny do not have scales but a smooth looking skin). It also adds texture allowing further coats of colour, when added, to continue with the motley look.

Next I start laying a few washes over the body to start to add a little form, putting in the lateral line, gill covers a shading to the underside of the body and along the lateral line and around the head. I also put in some rough colour for the eye, using a muted orange.

I add some definition to the eye and form of the head

In this close up of the head, at this stage in the painting you can see some of the washes applied to the head.

Now I work back along the body roughing in the darker patches on the shanny's markings using a warm pale brown. this is deliberately done with a on precise brush stroke to add to the motley effect.

 I now paint a greeny grey onto and between the brownish patches tosoften the effect and tie them together.

Back to the head and now I start applying random dots in a slightly darker brown to start work on the motley markings.

Along with this progress on the shanny I did a few of the odd little jobs that I tend to forget or put aside... among those were sweeping the studio and taking out the rubbish, emptying the 'paper to be recycled' box and taking the full bag out to the bins to be collected. Ordering more green bags for the 'paper to be recycled' box and also ordering 10 sheets of watercolour paper from the local office/art stationery supplier we use. I am now using the last sheet of a large pack of 56x76cm approx 300grm Sanders watercolour paper that I think I have gradually got through over the last 17 years. (I am sure it was here when I started this job!) This paper is generally used only for the fish illustrations and I cut  a piece smaller than A4 for each fish, so no wonder it has last so long. 

At 5pm I was feeling i the need of a naughty treat so I did a Choccie Run' to the vending machines out in the zoo. Unfortunately the one nearest the building I work in wanted only the correct change and I wanted one that would give me change so my Choccie Run' was a little further than anticipated but it was worth it as on the walk back to the studio I noticed the lovely love warm cast of light from the sinking sun catching the tree tops in the grounds against the beautiful blue sky that we have had today. And in each tree that I passed there was a bird or two sat, either singing its heart out or settled down quietly on a branch or twig. The lack of leaves and lovely light allowed me to easily see the birds - two robins competing with songs for territory claims in different trees, blackbirds -  male and female, great tit also proclaiming its right to something very loudly, a jackdaw added its two penny worth, two collared doves snuggled up quietly, a blue tit searching through bits of lichen and  a wood pigeon also hunkered down quietly. The air was full of bird song- twitterings, trills, cheeps, caws... all sorts of song bound together with the low sunlight and blue sky to give me that definitive 'Spring is here' feeling. What a way to end the day!