Wild Life Drawing Online: Nocturnal Animals

To brighten the dark month of January we will focus our next drawing class on Nocturnal Animals – meeting and drawing species that come out only at night, with Blossom the Striped Skunk, Hoglet the Pygmy Hedgehog, Blinky the Leopard Gecko and Turbo & Speedy, two Giant African Land Snails. Each of these animals has evolved super senses, either acute hearing, a sensitive nose or big eyes to let in what little light there is. We will hear about the amazing nighttime habits these animals have developed, as well as learning about their diet, habitat and any conservation or welfare issues affecting these animals. These animals have all been rescued or rehomed, and we will take this opportunity to talk about responsible pet ownership and the current regulations in the UK around keeping exotic animals.

The class will begin with an introduction from WLD founder and artist Jennie Webber, who will take you through the basics of drawing animals from life. We will then switch screens to be introduced to our furry, spiky, scaled and slimy friends, and we'll learn about their particular foraging techniques and evolutionary adaptions as well as how that species is currently doing in the wild. There will be a drawing demonstration of the shapes, proportions and anatomical features to identify – and Jennie will be on hand to demo, feedback or dish out creative advice throughout the whole session. We'll spend around 90 minutes drawing, focussing on each animal for around 20 minutes. 

The basic materials you need to take part are paper, a pencil, eraser and sharpener, but of course you are more than welcome to work in whatever materials you enjoy or have to hand. Please get in touch if you need advice on materials, we're happy to help! You will be emailed instructions and the Zoom link to join 48 hours before the event is due to start. If you have not received your email 24 hours before the class please check your junk mail or get in touch with Jennie on info@wildlifedrawing.co.uk

10% of each ticket sold will be donated to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital – a rescue, rehabilitation and public advice charity that takes in sick, injured and orphaned animals from the areas around East London, North Kent and South Essex. No animal is turned away and the hospital often houses 200-300 animals at any one time. They function entirely on donations and volunteers, and our contribution will make a difference.