Wednesday, September 11, 2013


A Twist of the Neck

Drawing a Giraffe from a Different Angle

Available to purchase as prints and signed reproductions at:

Giraffe. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

By now you know I love spots. Take spots and put them on one of the most unusual animals on the planet, and you've got my attention. I've always been intreged by Giraffes, I've done a lot of sketches of Giraffes, but never taken the time to study, examine, and really get to know what an amazing creature one is. Giraffes are the tallest living terrestrail animal and the largest ruminant on the planet. Fully grown they stand 16 to 20 feet tall. 

When I started doing sketches for this drawing I was going to do a horizontal composition. Kinda like the one from my sketchbook (below). But something just didn't feel right. The Giraffe felt boxed in by the edges of the paper. It felt like it didn't have freedom to move. A vertical composition, which I do very few of, worked out perfectly. The one other aspect of the animal I was totally fascinated with was it's neck. One of the most amazing features of the animal. I couldn't just do a straight view of the neck. I had to show it's incredible beauty and anatomy as it twisted from top to bottom. I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I had drawing it.

Detail of the Giraffe's Head

Detail of the Giraffe's Eye


Work in Progress after about 8 hours

One of my Giraffe sketches in a Moleskin



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