Benny in the Backyard

Benny in the backyard. Done with a ballpoint pen.

Grizzly Bear - Ursus arctos horribilis

Back to ballpoint pens with this sketch. This one again from a photo reference, with a grid used for reference..

The grizzly is a subspecies of brown bear and has a real bad reputation. It is a solitary bear, somewhat territorial and there's not much it is afraid of. This leads to a interactions with humans being less than pleasant (for the human).

Como Zoo - Capuchin Monkey

Back to pencils here.

Como Zoo Lion

OK.. so I realize I got way too dark with the shading here. The top of his mane is cool but the bottom is not. He does have a two layer, light/dark mane, but I didn't represent that well. Maybe because I was trying a different ink pen... excuses...

In any event, this drawing did reinforce for me that I need to be more disciplined with proportions. I used a sketch grid here, which was very helpful in that regard. And I'll definitely use it as a tool for any sketches from photo references.

Drawspace - Claudette

This exercise reinforced the point of using drawing grids for drawing faces. I felt the results were good and I guess the challenge is how to do grids on face sketches. I suppose, if you're sketching from photos, you can do just about anything in an image layer over the top of your subject.

Como Zoo Gorilla

About 15 years ago (1994), Casey the Gorilla escaped from his pit in the Como Zoo and wandered around the zoo grounds for about an hour. He didn't really do much or threaten anyone. We was just out wandering around.

I can imagine, though, that it would have been pretty terrifying to come around a corner with your cotton candy and come face to face with a 400 lb gorilla.

Casey has since been transferred to another zoo. Como plans a gorilla exhibit makeover in the next four or five years.

Como Zoo Timber Wolf - Canis Lupis (#2)

My second go at a Timber Wolf.

I just finished reading Hungry for Home: A Wolf Odyssey
It's definitely not a Disney story, so don't read it if you demand happy endings. But do read it if you love wolves and you're looking for a look at the way they live their lives.

Oh, and by the way, they have wolves at Como Zoo too.