Wild Life Drawing Online: Tanukis

Ever wondered what a Tanuki is? Well, now's your chance to find out! On Saturday 23rd April we will have a live video link set up with the team of Tanukis at Ark Wildlife, all rescued ex-pets from the illegal wildlife trade. Tanukis are also known as Japanese Raccoon Dogs and they are related to wolves, foxes and domestic dogs – but not raccoons, despite their almost identical appearance! With its thick fur, masked face and curious nature, the tanuki has served as a cultural icon in Japanese folklore for centuries. The bushy-tailed animal is known as a mischievous trickster that's shown up in legends and myths as a shapeshifter with supernatural abilities, and you may have spotted tanukis popping up in Nintendo video games and Studio Ghibli films! Sadly tanukis are bred for the fur trade and more recently have been illegally sold as an alternative to a domestic dog, resulting in animals being mistreated or dumped causing them to be added to the invasive species list.

For this live class we will be revisiting Ark Wildlife Park, where we will be hosted by the sanctuary’s founder, Jamie. He created Ark in order to help combat the suffering caused by exotic animal trading, which is a highly profitable illegal industry that is often run by the same organised criminals who traffic humans. Through their work at Ark, Jamie and his team have been able to improve the lives of hundreds of animals over the years, rescuing and rehoming an array of gorgeous creatures who thankfully now lead happy lives and are properly cared for. 

The class will be hosted by artist and animal lover Laura Cuppage, who will take you through the basics of drawing tanukis, starting off with simple shapes, studying the anatomical features and then adding details and character. As this is a live class the tanukis will be moving around freely, so Laura will give you some handy hints for drawing moving models. She will be on hand throughout the class to help with your sketches, and there will be plenty of time for questions about both your drawings and the animals. 

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, or in good time if you booked your ticket closer to the event. 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

50% of ticket profits will be donated to Ark Wildlife Park.