This session was slightly different to the usual, in that rather than a livestream or drawing from reference images while listening to an expert, this was a sort of hybrid: we went through slides and stopped briefly to draw images pertaining to the topic as we heard about them. The event was led by comparative biologist Joy Reidenberg (and Jennie from WLD) and Joy’s knowledge and passion for the subject was really inspiring.
We discussed the different shapes and sizes of whale and dolphin, and what purpose their anatomical features served. A blue whale is about the length of a 737 aeroplane which is absolutely mind-blowing. Another fascinating aspect was how they use the air in their lungs not just for oxygen but also creating a net to corral fish (which I knew) or to make an acoustic smokescreen (which I didn’t) or just for what appears to be the simple pleasure of drawing with bubbles.
I did some more comprehensive sketches from the recording the following day, and added some gouache diagrams.
The money raised is going towards an education bus for the Marine and Coastal Ecology Reserch Center in Florida. Once again, the team at Wild Life Drawing put on a fantastic evening – can’t wait for the next one!
