Spots in My Eyes

Drawing a Spotted Moray Eel

Available to purchase as prints and signed reproductions at:

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Spotted Moray Eel. 11x17" Ballpoint Pen and Ink wash

I'll never forget the first time I encountered a moray eel close up. I was a teenager and just started scuba diving with my brother Tony in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Carolina. We loved diving and exploring the many ship wrecks that litter the sea bed along the Outer Banks. Most of the wrecks were merchant ships, sunk during World War 2 by German U-boats. And after 50 years underwater the metal hulks had become covered by coral that gave them the appearance as if they have been dipped in batter, fried, and now had a think layer of sea life crust coating. Throughout this coral coating are thousands of holes that a variety of sea life makes it's home. Various fish, crabs and lobsters use the holes as a safe place to leave. Our main goal was to find lobsters, and we would search endlessly for a large lobster to take as a prize home to eat. While looking in one particular hole, and sticking my head in to see if a lobster was home, I came face to face with a Spotted Moray staring back at me. As a Moray breathes it mouth opens and closes to force the water over it's gills in what looks like an aggressive motion. This startled me at first, but I realized it was just breathing, and I'll never forget just staring at it's beauty, gracefulness, and the exquisitely detailed camouflage skin patterns that cover it with amazement. I literally had spots in my eyes!

Spotted Morays are incredibly beautiful, graceful creatures. They can be found in the Western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina to Brazil. They can grow up to 7 feet long and live in depths of up to 200 meters.

Detail of the Moray's Head

Detail of the Moray's Eye

Me and my very close friend Shane O'Malley with the Spotted Moray Eel drawing I did for him.

A Twist of the Neck

Drawing a Giraffe from a Different Angle

Available to purchase as prints and signed reproductions at:

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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

Drawing a Octopus

One tentacle & Spot at a time

Available to purchase as framed and unframed prints at
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Striped Octopus. Framed in Padauk wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

I did this drawing for a few reasons. Quite a few people suggested doing an octopus, my love of scuba diving and ocean creatures, and an octopus just screamed detail. But I didn't want to do just a plain octopus so I did some research and found out there's a very rare type of octopus that was just discovered in the early 90s called the Large Pacific Striped Octopus. It's remarkable for its dramatic coloration, which can switch from a dark reddish hue to black with white stripes and spots in fluid waves. The octopus can also assume different shapes, both flat and expanded. My new favorite Octopus!

Drawing at my table. Close to finishing it.

At this point I was about half way through the drawing and 3 pens

Adding in the ink wash background.

The final drawing.

A detail of the head.

And my favorite part of all, the eyes.

You can find my drawings for sale as prints at:

www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Custom Framed Signed Prints for Sale

TimJeffsArt Shop is now open on Etsy.com

www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt

Nautilus. Framed in Padauk wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

My animal pen & Ink drawings are now available to purchase at www.etsy.com/shop/TimJeffsArt as signed large high quality prints, or finished in beautiful custom frames, which are ready to hang on the wall. They come in a variety of exotic woods by artisan woodworker David Hohmann of WestWoodWoodWorking. Our collaboration is something that I have been longing to do, and am very excited to finally offer. The custom framed prints measure 25 3/4" x 21 3/4 " and are available in Padauk, Wenge and Zebrawood. There will be more animals coming soon. I hope you get a chance to see them. Below are just a few of the many available prints.

African Elephant. Framed in Wenge wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

Rhinoceros. Framed in Wenge wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

Jaguar. Framed in Wenge wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

Parrot. Framed in Wenge wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

Alligator. Framed in Wenge wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

LionFish. Framed in Padauk wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

cuttleFish. Framed in Padauk wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

Buffalo. Framed in Wenge wood. 25 3/4" x 21 3/4"

American Alligator Pen and Ink Wash

"Intricate Faces"

11x17" on paper

Here's the Third pen & ink drawing in my "intricate faces" series of an American Alligator.  Below are two details. This piece is 11x17", mixed ink on paper. Thanks for looking. I just got back from Costa Rica last week, so my next subject will be from that country. Such an amazing place to explore.

Detail of face

Detail of eye

African Elephant Pen and Ink Wash

"Intricate Faces"

11x17" on paper

Here's the second pen & ink drawing in my "intricate faces" series of an African Elephant.  Below are two details. This piece is 11x17", mixed ink on paper.

Detail of face

Detail of eye

Black Rhino Pen and Ink Wash

11x17" on paper

Besides wanting to do a finished larger version of an earlier sketch I did, I'm starting a series of extremely close up heads of large, mostly endangered, animals. I'm craving to draw more and more detail, so whats more detailed than getting up close and personal  with extremely intricate animals.

Here's the first pen & ink drawing in my "intricate faces" series. I had to start with one of my all time favorite animals, the Black Rhino. The species overall is classified as critically endangered, and one subspecies, the western black rhinoceros, was declared extinct in 2011. This piece is 11x17", mixed ink on paper.

Detail of face

Detail of eye

One of my favorite drawings of a rhinoceros is "Durer's Rhinoceros". Albrecht Durer's woodcut circa 1515. My father gave me actual original print that came out of Sebastian Munster book from 1550. I have it proudly framed. I recently saw the Albrecht Durer show at the National Gallery in Washington DC. He's in my "Top Ten" artist of all time list. His level of skill, craftsmanship, and detail is breath taking. To think he worked by etching into metal and wood, in reverse, is something I can hardly image possible.

Albrecht Durer Woodcut 1515