New artwork - skull drawings

Well, folks, I've been a little busy recently, but in the last month or so I've gotten back into artwork in a big way; every once in a while I'll do a drawing I don't like, and I won't draw for a long time. This first drawing was formerly one that I got bored with a couple years ago. Then, after teaching a lecture on scientific illustration, I saw the bare bones shading I had done, and all of a sudden Dorudon started cackling and laughing at me; I took it as a challenge. I worked nonstop for about 10 hours, and finished it up at 3 in the morning that night. I started this thing in 2007.

Cranial drawing of the archaeocete whale Dorudon atrox,

from the Eocene of Egypt. 2d, graphite, 2007-2009.

The next drawing I completely forgot about; this is a drawing of a walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) cranium on display at the Smithsonian. This was shaded waaay too much, but the particular style of drawing I developed in high school called for really dramatic contrast and lights and darks, so that's what I'm stuck with.

Cranial drawing of modern walrus, Odobenus rosmarus. 2d, graphite, 2007.

The next drawing is actually pretty big; I finished this one on sunday. This is a lateral view of a 7-9' long (can't remember exactly) Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis) cranium on display at the UC Museum of Vertebrate Zoology in Berkeley. The drawing is nearly 2' wide.

Cranial drawing of a Sei Whale, Balaenoptera borealis. 2d, graphite, 2009.

The last drawing took a couple days; this one's of a pretty gnarly critter - the skull of Otaria flavescens, the Southern Sea Lion. The skulls of this animal have all sorts of grotesque knobs and protrusions. This individual wasn't too bad, but note the projections on the dorsal braincase posterior to the orbits.

Cranial drawing of Otaria flavescens, the Southern Sea Lion. 2d, graphite, 2009.

So - if you need scientific illustrations for a publication, or would like to commission something, keep me in mind...