Wild Life Drawing Online: Tardigrades

As we all know, good things come in small packages, and so we think it’s high time for another “under the microscope” class. This time we will be drawing our attention to an iconic micro-animal with a cult following… yep, we’re going to draw tardigrades! Also known as water bears or moss piglets, these semi-aquatic creatures are nothing short of astounding. Measuring just half a millimetre, they are found all over the world and can survive even the most extreme of conditions- subzero cold, intense heat, even being blasted to the moon! Almost nothing phases them, and besides, if things do get a bit hairy they can always go into “tun” state, rolling up into a ball and dehydrating themselves. They can wait it out like this for a decade or so, ready to rehydrate when conditions improve. 

To teach us all about these mind blowing beastlets, we are excited to say that we will be joined by Igor Adameyko PhD, a biologist who has a specialises in microscopic aquatic animals. While we sketch, Igor will also fill us in on his latest ocean adventures. The class will be hosted by artist Laura Cuppage who will begin with a drawing demonstration and her top tips on drawing animals. There will be lots of time for all your questions too, so you’re sure to come away with both some brilliant sketches and fascinating facts! 

The class is open to all abilities so whether you haven’t drawn since school or you draw on the daily, you’ll get loads out of the session. The basic materials you need to take part are some paper, a pencil, a sharpener and a rubber, but if you’d like to experiment with other materials please free to get creative! We will be drawing from reference images which will be emailed to you (along with instructions and the zoom link) 48 hours before the event is due to start, or in good time if you book your ticket closer to the session. As with all our online sessions, we will send out a recording of the class afterwards so that you can watch it back as many times as you like.

50% of profits will go to Igor’s chosen charity Ocean Conservancy to support their mission to protect the oceans from today’s greatest global challenges.