nature

Animal and Nature Art Series

| terriaw

I completed a lot of drawing and illustration projects in 2016. It’s fun to see my best nine on Instagram, based on the number of likes, which includes some tiny art, animal art, watercolor experiments, and black and white drawings from my moleskin sketchbook.

best nine 2016

I completed 44 weekly animal art illustrations (not all shown here), which is wonderful to look through. I learned a lot about drawing animals and page composition, and I had fun experimenting with a variety of watercolors.

October animal art series img_6106 August animal art freshwater fish animal art sketchbook wildflowers and pollinators week 26 animal art nature June animal art series Animal Art Series May birds animal art weeks 13-16animal art weeks 9-12animal art weeks 5-8 animal art weeks 1-4

I loved working on this weekly animal art project in 2016, and my daily doodle in 2015, so I’m not sure what to do in 2017 for a daily drawing challenge. Cheers to a better year in 2017!

Terri

October Animal Art Series: National Parks Wildlife

| terriaw

In order to continue my mission to draw all the time and fill up more sketchbooks in 2016, I’ve been busy working on a new theme of drawings each week. At the end of the week, it’s nice to have lots of new drawings and a full page illustration. And I’m learning how to draw so many new things this year, which is really exciting! Only eight weeks left in this challenge.

I finished a fun series of illustrations in October for my animal art series with the theme national parks wildlife.


It will be fun to use these animal drawings for a series of illustrated maps of the national parks. Or turn them into postcards. Happy drawing!

Terri

Click here to see my Weeks 1-16 illustrations, ranging from bears to owls to whales to saltwater fish

Click here to see Weeks 17-20: Backyard Birds, Flamingos, Peacock and Macaws

Click here to see Weeks 21-25: Bugs: Neon Insects, Monarch Butterflies, Butterflies, Neon Spiders, and Moths

Click here to see Week 26: Nature is new every morning.

Click here to see Weeks 27-30: Wildflowers + Pollinators

Click here to see Weeks 31-34: Freshwater Fish

Click here to see Weeks 35-38: Backyard Wildlife

Click here to see Week 39: National Parks Wildlife

Click here to see Week 40: Elk Portrait

Click here to see Week 41: Grey Wolf

Click here to see Week 42: Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat

Click here to see Week 43: Pronghorn Antelope

Click here to see Week 44: Caribou and Moose Crossing

Week 44 Animal Art Series: Caribou and Moose Crossing

| terriaw

In order to continue my mission to draw all the time and fill up more sketchbooks in 2016, I’ve been busy working on a new theme of drawings each week. At the end of the week, it’s nice to have lots of new drawings and a full page illustration. And I’m learning how to draw so many new things this year, which is really exciting!

My theme for October is national parks wildlife, so week 44 in my animal art series features a caribou and moose.


You may have sightings of these animals in the Rocky Mountain, Denali and Glacier National Parks.

Caribou are part of the deer family so they grow and shed their antlers each year. They are the only species in which both sexes grow antlers.

Moose are known for being huge, standing at 5-7 feet tall and weighing up to 1,500 pounds. Their long legs allow them to travel through deep snow and swim in deep water. Usually solitary animals, they graze on leaves, stems, buds and bark.

Can’t wait to turn these sketchbook pages into fun new digital art! At the end of this month’s theme, it would be fun to use these animal drawings for a series of illustrated maps of the national parks. Or turn them into postcards.

Terri

Click here to see my Weeks 1-16 illustrations, ranging from bears to owls to whales to saltwater fish

Click here to see Weeks 17-20: Backyard Birds, Flamingos, Peacock and Macaws

Click here to see Weeks 21-25: Bugs: Neon Insects, Monarch Butterflies, Butterflies, Neon Spiders, and Moths

Click here to see Week 26: Nature is new every morning.

Click here to see Weeks 27-30: Wildflowers + Pollinators

Click here to see Weeks 31-34: Freshwater Fish

Click here to see Weeks 35-38: Backyard Wildlife

Click here to see Week 39: National Parks Wildlife

Click here to see Week 40: Elk Portrait

Click here to see Week 41: Grey Wolf

Click here to see Week 42: Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat

Click here to see Week 43: Pronghorn Antelope

Week 43 Animal Art Series: Pronghorn Antelope

| terriaw

In order to continue my mission to draw all the time and fill up more sketchbooks in 2016, I’ve been busy working on a new theme of drawings each week. At the end of the week, it’s nice to have lots of new drawings and a full page illustration. And I’m learning how to draw so many new things this year, which is really exciting!

My theme for October is national parks wildlife, so week 43 in my animal art series features a pronghorn antelope.


You may have sightings of these animals in the Yellowstone National Park. Pronghorn antelope live in grasslands, and can run sprints at 45–50 miles per hour.

Can’t wait to turn these sketchbook pages into fun new digital art! At the end of this month’s theme, it would be fun to use these animal drawings for a series of illustrated maps of the national parks. Or turn them into postcards.

Terri

Click here to see my Weeks 1-16 illustrations, ranging from bears to owls to whales to saltwater fish

Click here to see Weeks 17-20: Backyard Birds, Flamingos, Peacock and Macaws

Click here to see Weeks 21-25: Bugs: Neon Insects, Monarch Butterflies, Butterflies, Neon Spiders, and Moths

Click here to see Week 26: Nature is new every morning.

Click here to see Weeks 27-30: Wildflowers + Pollinators

Click here to see Weeks 31-34: Freshwater Fish

Click here to see Weeks 35-38: Backyard Wildlife

Click here to see Week 39: National Parks Wildlife

Click here to see Week 40: Elk Portrait

Click here to see Week 41: Grey Wolf

Click here to see Week 42: Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat

Week 42 Animal Art Series: Mountain Goat and Bighorn Sheep

| terriaw

In order to continue my mission to draw all the time and fill up more sketchbooks in 2016, I’ve been busy working on a new theme of drawings each week. At the end of the week, it’s nice to have lots of new drawings and a full page illustration. And I’m learning how to draw so many new things this year, which is really exciting!

My theme for October is national parks wildlife, so week 42 in my animal art series features a mountain goat and bighorn sheep.


You may have sightings of these animals in the Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Olympic, and Glacier National Parks.

Bighorn sheep are known for their ability to climb steep terrain to avoid predators. They travel in flocks and feed on grasses and shrubs throughout the year.

Mountain goats are known for living on rocky cliffs at high elevations throughout the year. They have special hooves with traction-creating inner pads to give them sure footing on steep, rocky slopes, beyond the reach of most predators.

Can’t wait to turn these sketchbook pages into fun new digital art! At the end of this month’s theme, it would be fun to use these animal drawings for a series of illustrated maps of the national parks. Or turn them into postcards.

Terri

Click here to see my Weeks 1-16 illustrations, ranging from bears to owls to whales to saltwater fish

Click here to see Weeks 17-20: Backyard Birds, Flamingos, Peacock and Macaws

Click here to see Weeks 21-25: Bugs: Neon Insects, Monarch Butterflies, Butterflies, Neon Spiders, and Moths

Click here to see Week 26: Nature is new every morning.

Click here to see Weeks 27-30: Wildflowers + Pollinators

Click here to see Weeks 31-34: Freshwater Fish

Click here to see Weeks 35-38: Backyard Wildlife

Click here to see Week 39: National Parks Wildlife

Click here to see Week 40: Elk Portrait

Click here to see Week 41: Grey Wolf

Week 41 Animal Art Series: Grey Wolf Study

| terriaw

In order to continue my mission to draw all the time and fill up more sketchbooks in 2016, I’ve been busy working on a new theme of drawings each week. At the end of the week, it’s nice to have lots of new drawings and a full page illustration. And I’m learning how to draw so many new animals this year, which is really exciting!

My theme for October is national parks wildlife, so week 41 in my animal art series features grey wolf studies.


Grey wolves are known for roaming freely in Yellowstone National Park since being reintroduced in the mid-90s. They are a pack animal that live with a close-knit crew of 4-7 wolves. It’s great to learn there are about 75 different packs in the greater Yellowstone region.

This page was fun to add some wolf tracks as a background pattern. At the end of this month’s theme, it would be fun to use these animal drawings for a series of illustrated maps of the national parks.

Terri

Click here to see my Weeks 1-16 illustrations, ranging from bears to owls to whales to saltwater fish

Click here to see Weeks 17-20: Backyard Birds, Flamingos, Peacock and Macaws

Click here to see Weeks 21-25: Bugs: Neon Insects, Monarch Butterflies, Butterflies, Neon Spiders, and Moths

Click here to see Week 26: Nature is new every morning.

Click here to see Weeks 27-30: Wildflowers + Pollinators

Click here to see Weeks 31-34: Freshwater Fish

Click here to see Weeks 35-38: Backyard Wildlife

Click here to see Week 39: National Parks Wildlife

Click here to see Week 40: Elk Portrait

Week 40 Animal Art Series: Elk Portrait

| terriaw

In order to continue my mission to draw all the time and fill up more sketchbooks in 2016, I’ve been busy working on a new theme of drawings each week. At the end of the week, it’s nice to have lots of new drawings and a full page illustration. And I’m learning how to draw so many new things this year, which is really exciting!

My theme for October is national parks wildlife, so week 40 in my animal art series features an elk portrait. I don’t usually draw animal portraits or animals from a front, close-up view like this, so it was a good challenge.


Drawing and illustrating always makes me happy!

Terri

Click here to see my Weeks 1-16 illustrations, ranging from bears to owls to whales to saltwater fish

Click here to see Weeks 17-20: Backyard Birds, Flamingos, Peacock and Macaws

Click here to see Weeks 21-25: Bugs: Neon Insects, Monarch Butterflies, Butterflies, Neon Spiders, and Moths

Click here to see Week 26: Nature is new every morning.

Click here to see Weeks 27-30: Wildflowers + Pollinators

Click here to see Weeks 31-34: Freshwater Fish

Click here to see Weeks 35-38: Backyard Wildlife

Click here to see Week 39: National Parks Wildlife

September Animal Art Series: Backyard Wildlife

| terriaw

In order to continue my mission to draw all the time and fill up more sketchbooks in 2016, I’ve been busy working on a new theme of drawings each week. At the end of the week, it’s nice to have lots of new drawings and a full page illustration. And I’m learning how to draw so many new things this year, which is really exciting!

I finished a fun series of illustrations in September for my animal art series with the theme backyard wildlife.

img_6106

Can’t wait to turn these sketchbook page into fun new digital art! Happy drawing!

Terri

Click here to see my Weeks 1-16 illustrations, ranging from bears to owls to whales to saltwater fish

Click here to see Weeks 17-20: Backyard Birds, Flamingos, Peacock and Macaws

Click here to see Weeks 21-25: Bugs: Neon Insects, Monarch Butterflies, Butterflies, Neon Spiders, and Moths

Click here to see Week 26: Nature is new every morning.

Click here to see Weeks 27-30: Wildflowers + Pollinators

Click here to see Weeks 31-34: Freshwater Fish

Week 38 Animal Art Series: White-Tailed Deer

| terriaw

In order to continue my mission to draw all the time and fill up more sketchbooks in 2016, I’ve been busy working on a new theme of drawings each week. At the end of the week, it’s nice to have lots of new drawings and a full page illustration. And I’m learning how to draw so many new things this year, which is really exciting!

My theme for September is backyard wildlife, so week 38 in my animal art series features the white-tailed deer.

Their coat is a reddish-brown in the spring and summer and turns to a grey-brown throughout the fall and winter. The deer can be recognized by the characteristic white underside to its tail. Males regrow their antlers every year. They eat acorns, fruit, and corn, and forage foraging on other plants, including shoots, leaves, and grasses.

img_6105After doing a quick pencil sketch of my concept, I started out with a watercolor wash for the background colors of each fox and other nature elements. Then I love to dive in with my tiny paintbrushes to add details and give them personality.

Can’t wait to turn this sketchbook page into fun new digital art! Drawing and illustrating always makes me happy!

Terri

Click here to see my Weeks 1-16 illustrations, ranging from bears to owls to whales to saltwater fish

Click here to see Weeks 17-20: Backyard Birds, Flamingos, Peacock and Macaws

Click here to see Weeks 21-25: Bugs: Neon Insects, Monarch Butterflies, Butterflies, Neon Spiders, and Moths

Click here to see Week 26: Nature is new every morning.

Click here to see Weeks 27-30: Wildflowers + Pollinators

Click here to see Weeks 31-34: Freshwater Fish

Click here to see Week 35: Squirrel Shenanigans

Click here to see Week 36: Raccoons

Click here to see Week 37: Wily Fox