Wild Life Drawing Online: Slow Lorises

For this class we will focus on a species which proves that looks can be deceiving; the slow loris. With their wide eyes and round fluffy faces, it may surprise you to learn that these cuties are the only known primates with a venomous bite! When threatened, slow lorises create a killer cocktail by combining oil from a gland in their upper arm with their saliva. This potent mix is stored in their grooved canines and can produce a painful bite, allergic reaction and even death! When they’re not delivering deadly chomps, these arboreal animals can be found skillfully climbing through the rainforests of South and Southeast Asia gouging for gum, and hunting for insects and small invertebrates; pollinating plants as they go. 

We are delighted to say that for this class we will be joined by the world’s leading expert on slow lorises, Professor Anna Nekaris OBE. As founder of The Little Fireface Project, Anna has been studying Javan slow lorises on the island of Java since 2007 and across Asia since 1994. She will teach us all about these fascinating creatures, recall some of her own encounters with wild lorises, and provide some tips on how we can get involved in the effort to protect this wonderful species.

The class will be hosted by artist Laura Cuppage, who will begin with a demonstration on drawing slow lorises. We will be drawing from some reference images of wild slow lorises provided by Anna and her team. All artistic abilities are welcome. Whether you haven’t drawn since school or you’re a seasoned pro, with a bit of creative guidance we’re sure you’ll be sketching away in no time. 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 feel free to get creative! We will email you a couple of days before the class (or in good time if you book your ticket closer to the session) with a link, the images and the information you need. 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 be donated to The Little Fireface Project, to support their wonderful work. The Little Fireface Project is supported by our friends over at People’s Trust for Endangered Species.