In honor of Shark Week it’s finally time to post my favorite in-studio video yet! Kids and parents beware: this drawing is not for the faint of heart!
The animals drawn in this scene are a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) and a juvenile elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris). During my book research trip to the Farallon Islands—where Neighborhood Sharks is set—I was lucky enough to witness several shark attacks on seals from afar, and the colors and emotion of this drawing are based on that eyewitness experience.
The final art was drawn with pencil and completed in watercolor, ink, and gouache, and the video was shot with an iPhone 3G using iTimeLapse. The sounds of the shark-filled waters were captured with a Tascam DR-05 digital recorder while I was on Mirounga Bay at the Farallon Islands and on Tomales Bay near Point Reyes during my shark research trip in October 2012. Special thanks to Ron Elliott, Scot Anderson, Paul Kanive, and the scientists and crew of the Derek M. Baylis!
Neighborhood Sharks goes on sale September 30, 2014 online and in bookstores everywhere. Pre-order your copy now, and stay tuned for my list of Sharktober book events in NYC and the Bay Area! Thanks for watching!
