Pink toes

Eddie from Maintenance called round to the studio not long after 9am this morning - he had already moved the okapi posts and board across to its new position. All that was needed now was to fix the interpretation panel back in. I went down to the end of the okapi paddock with him to check on the position and height of the board and to help him put the interp panel in. The board was just a little too high, so I got him to cut a further 3" off the bottom of each post so that the board sat as close to the top of the railing as it would go.Then with a couple of screws the panel was fixed into place and job done. He departed for his next job down at the Lemur Walk Through and I returned to the studio. 

I laminated the sign I printed yesterday, to go in Twilight World, and  took it across, thinking I could just put it straight up. Unfortunately the 'dark' light was off over the sign's position and it was pitch black in that section of the underground area without it. There was no way I could see if, when I replaced the sign, it would be put up straight or not. So I went looking for a keeper around the back of the house. Simon, the Overseer in Twilight World, let me in and we went to have a look at the light situation. Seems the bulb had gone so with the aid of the torch he handily had with him I could remove the old sign and replace it easily. He said he would get the light sorted, so I left that for him to see to.

Back in the studio I started on the drawing of the Antilles pink toed spider. First I draw in the shape of the spider  - I find this fairly easy to do with spiders and some other invertebrates as their body structure is so nicely put together and 'blocky'. Almost like putting it gether with bricks and each brick falls easily into place by the last one.

  

Once I had it blocked in and was happy with the proportions, leg lengths etc I then started going back over it, carefully drawing in each leg segment shape length of hair. 

 

 

In between we had a mini 'brainstorm' session over the zoo's latest summer attraction - which will be animatronic dinosaurs. The Graphics Department - mainly Anna, is doing the signage and we had a little fun thinking up some silly versions of  various amenity signs like 'keep off the grass' and 'Emergency exit'.

In the afternoon I also started on the painting of the spider - as this is a spider which will go up trees I am putting the critter on a large branch... keeping the bark simple and light to show up the darker fine hairs on the legs and body. I have got as far as putting on a background colour (blue) and tracing my drawing into position and then carefully blacking in the shape, ensuring I leave little 'tell' lines for the segment divisions etc.