SEALIFE illustrations pt1: BLACKFISH Last summer, I was commissioned by SEALIFE dolphin watching to create some illustrations for their new educational building. They opted for full realism, which made me very happy - it’s been a while since I could go all out on the nitty gritty details of pretty cetaceans. Over the next few days I’ll upload them all so you can finally see these beautiful boys and girls too.
★ Killer whale (Orcinus orca) Although little known from the actual Mediterranean, around the strait of Gibraltar and further afield sightings are more common. They have funky bulbous melons and stout dorsal fins around there, and the warm Portugal sun can make them look almost brownish at times.
★ Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) Oof, this has to be one of my favourites. I find short-fins especially handsome to begin with, with their sleek bodies, big backswept dorsal fins and expressive eyes. Their subtle markings are beautiful and complex too - and I’m just so pleased with how this one turned out. This is a male, the females have more modest dorsal fins.
★ Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) Another personal favourite. Having painted Risso’s before, I was a bit daunted at the prospect of painting all those scars in detail this time. But it turns out drawing sucker scars and rake marks is pretty fun and I’m stoked with the result. Like pilot whales, Risso’s eat mostly squid. However, their skin does not repigment after scar tissue has formed, so the result of every skirmish with both colleagues and prey are permanently etched on their bodies.
