Eight Days a Week

Drawing a Octopus In Colored Pencil and Ink

Prints, posters, stationery cards, and signed fine art reproductions  

are available for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Octopus. 11x17"  Colored Pencil and ink on paper

As I began to do research on this drawing of an octopus, I became overwhelmed at the possibilities of colors to use. The octopus is part of a group of cephalopods that are skilled in the art of color change. And as I poured through different pictures of octopus I was amazed to see how many colors variations they can achieve. As I read more about them I learned that octopuses also have extremely well developed eyes that detect both the color and intensity of light. By using their excellent vision they can create color patterns that match the seafloor around them therefore being able to become camouflaged from predators. 

I noticed that their skin patterns looked very similar to the patterns in stained glass and decided to try to make my octopus appear to be made out of stained glass. And while looking at stained glass for patterns I came across the colors for my art piece. 

The piece of stained glass which inspired my colors for the octopus

So I now knew what colors to use, and the patterns I wanted to make, so now all I had to do was do it. Easier said then done, this go around. This drawing was probably one of the most labor intensive pieces I've created. I think it took me on and off over 2 weeks to complete. But I really enjoyed creating this one. I learned a lot about color and textures.

I'm finding out that people really do have an attraction for octopus. Theirs just something about a creature that has eight arms, can change color, squirt ink and squeeze itself into a bottle that is simply amazing!

This is also the piece that inspired me to offer my work printed on home goods. I've had a lot of requests for different products with my art on them, so I set up a store on society6.com. You can visit it here where you will find all of my animal drawings not only as prints and framed prints, but as phone cases, throw pillows, tot bags, shower curtains, etc. 

You can buy my octopus on various home goods at society6.com

Here are some photos taken during my drawing process

Here's the finished drawing

Prints, posters and signed fine art reproductions are available 

for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

One Cool Kitty-Kat

Drawing an Ocelot

Prints, posters, stationery cards, and signed fine art reproductions  

are available for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Ocelot. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

I recently visited our local county zoo at Van Saun Park in Paramus, New Jersey which has an Ocelot in captivity, and as soon as I saw it, this amazing looking animal had "draw me" written all over it! Beautiful patterns cover this small cat. Also know at the dwarf leopard, just a perfect nickname, the ocelot looks very much like a domestic cat, but with an amazing patterned fur coat that resembles a jaguar or leopard. So when I started sketching out a composition I really wanted to capture this crossover between domestic and wild animals. I love how house cats patiently sit in a position staring at something intensely, and at any moment they snap out of that trance and pounce with incredible speed. So i decided to try to capture that moment right before they jump! 

Living throughout South and Central America Ocelots have been sighted as far north as southern Texas and Arizona. Ocelots were killed in the Hundreds of Thousands for their fur and were classified as "vulnerable" until 1996 when they were protected. They are now considered "least concern" due to these conservation efforts. They are nocturnal and very territorial. Ocelots have been know to be kept as pets, and Salvador Dali being the most famous owner traveled with his pet Ocelot named "Babou". 

Salvador Dali and his pet Ocelot "Babou"

Here are some photos taken during my drawing process

Here's the finished drawing

Prints, posters and signed fine art reproductions are available 

for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Whale of a Tail, of a New Jersey Tale

Drawing a Humpback Whale

Prints, posters, stationery cards, and signed fine art reproductions  

are available for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Humpback Whale. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

I live in New Jersey, and when you think of New Jersey whale watching just doesn't come to mind. Cape Cod, Maine, Southern California, and Hawaii are the places where you go to see whales. But recently whale sightings have increased off the New Jersey coast. Especially humpback whales are being sighted much more often this year than in prior ones. There are reports that say it could be because of cleaner waters that have encouraged huge rises in fish populations which whales feed on. This is such great news! I hope this continues and New Jersey becomes the next whale watching destination.

Here's an article that you can read with more details about the increased whale sightings off of the New Jersey coast. Btw, Great White Shark sightings are up too off of NJ. Fantastic news!

I love whales and always have since I was a kid. And strangely I haven't drawn them at all. But recently I had the opportunity to illustrate a non-fiction story by Leslie Jamison called "52 Blue". It's a story about the Loneliest whale. You can read it on The Atavist website here. I did 11 drawings which run throughout the story. It was a wonderful assignment and really made me enthusiastic about drawing whales. So after I finished the project I jumped right into drawing a humpback whale. Humpbacks whales have a special place in my heart. I had the amazing opportunity back in the late 1980's to dive with humpbacks while I was visiting my brother Tony who lived in Hawaii at the time. We were scuba diving off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii when Humpbacks came upon use on a dive. I'll never forget the sounds they made. This was one of my top 10 life experiences.

Here are a couple of Humpback whale facts. They grow up to 62 feet long and can weight 40 tons. They are endangered with the world population at 80,000. They migrate up to 16,000 miles a year. They can live up to 50 years.

In this drawing I wanted to capture a feeling of peacefulness. My humpback is just floating and isn't moving at all. My whale is completely calm, with the reflection of the water all over him. I think this will be the first of many whale drawings I do. They are such magical looking creatures! Thanks as always for looking.

Here are some photos taken during my drawing process

Here's the finished drawing

Prints, posters and signed fine art reproductions are available 

for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Karma Chameleon

Drawing a Chameleon...Again

Prints, posters, stationery cards, and signed fine art reproductions  

are available for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Chameleon. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

Well, if you don't feel completely satisfied, try again…right? I did a drawing of a Chameleon last year, and I just wasn't satisfied with the detail and composition of it. I wanted to express my fascination for these incredible little creatures with a more up-close and personal look at the amazing detail a Chameleon possesses. And this drawing ended up becoming the most time intensive drawing I have done so far. I probably put over 30 hours of time completing this work. But as most of you that follow me know, time is not an issue when doing a drawing. I don't rush a drawing and enjoy a long and time-consuming creative process. And this piece demanded a level of patience that I throughly enjoyed experiencing. I approach a drawing like this one scale at a time, trying never to rush it. To some people this would be torture, but to me it is relaxing, enjoyable, meditative, and peaceful.

Where to start about Chameleons. The facts about these reptiles are mesmerizing! There are 160 different species of Chameleons, which half of them live on the island of Madagascar. Their eyes can rotate and swivel independently to let them see a complete 360-degrees. Their tongues can be as long as their bodies and move at ballistic speeds. They can change color, which serves as a form of communication. CRAZY! and if that wasn't enough:

• Chameleons have ultraviolet vision

• Chameleons vary in size from 0.6 of an inch to 30 inches

• They have no outer ears but can detect sounds in the frequency range from 200-600 Hz

• Chameleons can live up to 10 years

With all of those amazing abilities, Chameleons are the coolest of the cool when it comes to reptiles! I'm sure every Chameleon owner out there would agree. Below are some pictures I took as my Chameleon drawing came to life. As always thanks for taking the time to stop by my blog and look at my work. Your support is a huge inspiration to me.

Here are some photos taken during my drawing process

Here's the finished drawing

Prints, posters and signed fine art reproductions are available 

for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Dragon Tales and Scales

Drawing a Bearded Dragon

Prints, posters, stationery cards, and signed fine art reproductions  

are available for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Bearded Dragon. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

I'm really really enjoying drawing reptiles with lots of scales right now, and this drawing is probably my most ambitious reptile drawings to date. The detail that a Bearded Dragon possesses is truly amazing. It's complex scaly skin, patterning, and thorns are extraordinary at close examination, but my drawing only scratches the surface of what this little lizard's body really looks like.

when I take on a drawing as detailed as this, I like to break the drawing down into several stages and tasks. I don't try very hard to mimic reality, I'm more concerned with making up cool designs and patterns. So first I figure out the size and style of the scales I'm going to draw by adding in just a few throughout the piece. All the others are drawn spontaneously as I go. I then lay down the outline of a row of scales and after that go back and shade in each one, one at a time. It's kinda like building a mosaic of tiles. After I finish an area of scales I shade over them to create texture and depth. You can see this in my progress pictures below. I've been ask to shoot videos as I work, so I hope to do it during my next drawing. I see artists posting videos as they draw on Instagram all the time, which are very interesting to watch. If you have any interest in following my day to day progress as it happens, you can follow me on Instagram.

I've reached 40!

I've reach 40! not in years old, (I'm older than that!) but this is the 40th black and white animal drawing I've done in this series. They are all ruffly 11"x17" in size, and it's taken me about a year to get this far. I feel I've learned a lot along the way about drawing with ink, learning about the animals I've drawn, and had an amazing time meeting and communicating with so many wonderful people through social media and in person about art. So thanks to everyone who as been supportive and encouraging. I've got lots more drawing in me, so the next year should hopefully even be better.

To end, here's a little bit of info about this amazing creature in this drawing. Pogona, which are more commonly referred to as Bearded Dragons, are a reptile which lives in arid semidesert and woodland regions of Australia. They are a common pet in the US but have been banded in Australia from the pet trade. Their triangular heads and flattened bodies with spiny scales arranged in rows and clusters. These are found on the throat, which can be expanded when threatened, and at the back of the head. These spiny scales are used to scare off predators, yet they are not very sharp.

Here are some photos taken during my drawing process

The finished drawing

Prints, posters and signed fine art reproductions are available 

for purchase in my Etys shop at: 

 www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt