wildlife art

Rainbow Black Wolf Watercolour Study

watercolor, watercolour, wildlife art / / / , , ,

Another week, another black animal study! I tried to implement what I learned with the kitty last week to improve this week’s wolf. I think the contrast turned out well, and I like the textures around the face.

My two big take-aways from this one are: 1. I very much prefer using warm colours on the face. 2. Black animals need purple or blue faces to look black. (Also something something use thinner paint something something.)

What do you think? Is this an improvement? Can you tell it’s supposed to be a black wolf, or does it look grey to you? (It looks grey to me haha)

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Baby Leopard Gecko Watercolour Painting

pet portrait, watercolor, watercolour, wildlife art / / / , , , ,

It’s hard to believe it’s been a couple years since my last leopard gecko painting! These guys are so charismatic and cute. They have such an unusual texture, too, which is a real challenge to paint. Summer seems like the perfect time to be painting reptiles, and I hope to paint at least a couple more before fall hits. 🦎

Learn to paint like this through my Skillshare classes: https://www.skillshare.com/en/user/squidtarts

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Crested Gecko Mlem Watercolour Portrait

pet portrait, watercolor, watercolour, wildlife art / / / , , , ,

It’s been a little while since I’ve painted a lizard (almost a year!), so have a crested gecko!

I really struggled with this piece. Painting the crestie went pretty smoothly, but the background was just one problem after another. I used salt in the background textures, which is something I almost never do. I accidentally dumped a ton of salt on the rock in the back, so it really stood out with a ton of texture. I also realized the swoop in the background, the gecko’s back leg, and the back rock were all the same value; which looked terrible. I ended up lifting up most of the back rock, then going over it with very faint layers of white gouache. That helped smooth out the texture and contrast. Then I increased the contrast on the gecko’s back leg to help it stand out a bit. I’m happy with where it ended up, but it was definitely a journey haha!

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New Freebie Sticker – Blueberry Tarts

watercolor, watercolour, wildlife art / / / , ,

Halfway through the year, and I’ve finally found time to update my freebie sticker design. Every year, I draw Tarts the bobtail squid with either fruit or a tart, and this year I chose blueberries!

I used to do a lot of character art but have moved away from it in favour of portraits. I love portraits and one off designs, but it’s always really fun to revisit Tart each year. Bobtail squids are also a treat to draw, because they’re just orbs with little noodle legs and can come in any colour. It’s also a great opportunity to play with colours, textures, and elements I don’t usually include in my portraits or animal sticker designs.

Anyone who orders from my Etsy shop or website for the rest of the year will get one of these little guys as a thank you gift!

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New Sticker Design – Rainbow Unicorn Pony

pet portrait, stickers, watercolor, watercolour, wildlife art / / / , , , , ,

It’s time for a new sticker! I got this idea for an extra bean-shaped pony stuck in my head and had to paint it. Then I was thinking, “You know what’s more ridiculous than a fat little pony? A fat little pony unicorn!” And here we are.

I aaaalmost went with a white coat to push the unicorn aspect, but then I got the idea of adding pants and couldn’t stop myself. Idk what it is about painting ridiculous things that’s somehow extra fun, but I’m glad I’m able to indulge it sometimes haha!

You can grab one of these cuties here at my shop.

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New Sticker – Chickadee!

watercolor, watercolour, wildlife art / / / , , , ,

Here’s another new sticker I actually painted a little while ago during the first snow of the season. I just love watching the chickadees flit around the trees foraging in the winter. Even though they’re out all year, they feel like such a winter kind of bird, and I have them strongly associated with snow.

This little one has been foraging to grow even fatter and rounder! Adorable!


You can get your little chickadee sticker here.

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New Dino Sticker – Ichthyotitan

stickers, watercolor, watercolour, wildlife art / / / , , , ,

Now in my shop: Please enjoy the world’s happiest ichthyotitan! Why is she so happy? Idk maybe she just ate a whale.

Ichthyosaurs are some of my favourite prehistoric friends, and ichthyotitans are just xl ichthyosaurs. Instant fav! I decided to give this one spots like a leopard shark, because I thought it would be really cute despite being pretty unlikely on an apex predator. ~fashion~

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Ball Python on Wood

pet portrait, watercolor, watercolour, wildlife art / / / , , ,

Ball pythons are probably my favourite snake. Every one I’ve met has been super charismatic, and their patterns are so stunning.

I love painting reptiles because of the challenge of their scales. How many scales should be rendered so a snake doesn’t seem like a fleshy sausage or overworked and fake? It’s a tricky balance to strike, and I don’t think I nailed it here, but I think the snake turned out really cute anyway.

Learn to paint like this through my Skillshare classes.

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New 2024 Fox Rug Design!

rug tufting, wildlife art / / / , ,

Coming off the back of the mini fox rugs, here’s the full sized version! This guy is around 30” across, and I used the same pattern as my smol foxes. This guy was a breath of fresh air to work on. The big blocks of colour are so satisfying to tuft out, and I got some great practice carving the shapes to clean them up!

Learn to create rugs like this with my rug tufting class on Skillshare.

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