Grade 9 Wildlife Illustration

This year grade 9 students created hyper-realistic wild life illustrations in order to promote animal and habitat conservation. Check out some of their works!

The Northern Leopard frog is an amphibian which, as the name suggests, has a characteristic leopard-like pattern over its body. These carnivores feed on both vertebrates and invertebrates most commonly found in their habitat - wetlands and freshwater ecosystems. Their breeding season starts in March and ends in June, throughout this time females lay up to 7,000 eggs, which take 1-3 weeks to hatch. The background imitates the pattern found on military uniforms designed for camouflage. The green colour is associated with the sense of security; when in luscious grass, it is simple for this amphibian to hide from its predators. I created this piece with the intent of sharing the beauty one sees but does not  realize. Most commonly any frog is just seen as a frog, nothing else, this picture presents that there is more to the vertebrate then we see, a story, a meaning, as a community we should strive to realizing its beauty and aiming to protect it.  

Narwhals were once thought as mythical aquatic creatures known for their horn, giving them the name “Unicorn of the Sea”, thus making people doubt their existence. However, narwhals are a real aquatic animal that has a “horn” as an extended tooth. They are very social animals, as they have complex social systems. Narwhals typically travel with a pod of 10-20 other narwhals during the year and heavily rely on one another. To symbolize this importance, for my composition I created four other narwhals in mystical, contrasting colors from the main narwhal. This shows the importance of how a community can change an outlook on life, even in a dark empty ocean the situation can change to mystical and bright just because of those surrounding you. This composition hopes to create an idea of how incredible and magical animals can be, emphasizing the importance of wildlife conservation, and how we should work towards keeping magical animals alive in our present, not our past.  

The wood duck is a fascinating bird that gets its name from being one of the only ducks that likes to nest in trees. Wood ducks are also one of the only water birds that will use human made bird houses, actually they prefer it. This is why in the background of this piece is a birdhouse. I used realistic colours and shapes when drawing and colouring the wood duck because I wanted people to know what the bird looked like in as much detail as possible. Unlike the bird, I used pastel colours in the background to convey the peace and beauty of the wood duck. This unit was particularly important because wildlife art can inspire wildlife conservation by showing the beauty of the natural world. 

This artwork portrays an orca swimming through polluted waters coloured brown, green, and yellow, and filled with trash. Orcas are also known as killer whales because they are apex predators at the top of the food chain and are crucial to marine ecosystems. However, they are increasingly threatened by pollution. The swirling background of mustard yellows, earthy tones, and luscious greens symbolizes the contamination caused by human waste. These colours contrast with the natural beauty of the orca. The black and white tones of the orca were created by combining contrasting colours on the colour wheel, such as yellow and purple, as well as blue and orange. By depicting the orca in such a dire setting, this piece seeks to raise awareness and inspire action for wildlife conservation.

In my artwork, a walrus sits on a podium of ice after winning a race, with bright, celebratory colours. This symbolizes victory. Walrus’ reach speeds similar to those of humans using its fins, so I chose to highlight that amazing skill. I chose to emphasize this by placing it on a podium of ice that spans 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place due to its size. To support the walrus, new layers of ice are added on top of the melting podium, symbolizing human efforts to aid with the situation in the Arctic, even as it melts uncontrollably. Walruses are currently classified as vulnerable and are crucial to the Arctic ecosystem, serving both as prey for humans and predators of invasive marine species. Consider donating to the WWF's Arctic Species Conservation Fund to help ensure walruses and other Arctic species have the habitat they need, as human activity continues to disrupt their environment.

Chrysaora plocamia is an incredibly interesting species of jellyfish. The origin of the second half of its name, plocamia, comes from the Greek word plókamos, meaning "tress" or "braid of hair." This refers to their white, fluffy tentacles, which give them a beautiful, floaty appearance. Their arms are long, spiraled, and red-brown in color. The name Chrysaora is derived from the mythological figure, the son of Poseidon and Medusa, which inspired my background. In simple terms, the story of Medusa is that she was seduced by Poseidon and then cursed by Athena to be ugly forever. I incorporated a trident and a book to symbolize the rivalry between Poseidon and Athena, and the snakes represent Medusa’s transformation. I hope that the realistic style of my jellyfish artwork will inspire wildlife conservation efforts by helping others recognize the beauty we could lose if animals continue to go extinct.

It’s a “short” journey from the beach to the sea, yet only 1 in 1,000 turtles survive the perilous path to adulthood. In my piece, I aimed to capture the loss of life & childhood, as well as the pain of survivors. Additionally, there is an increase in the loss of life for turtles due to pollution. In the lower-right corner of the foreground, is a broken & dismembered teddy bear, a symbol for a traumatic childhood. It contrasts with a blooming flower illustrating growth after hardship. In the background there is a prominently blue storm with muted childlike colours and lines reflecting pain’s power of destruction. The rain is metaphoric of the race against time to reach safety. Finally, the main focus of the work is the baby turtle, struggling and fighting for survival. Overall, the techniques used in the artwork attempt to create an atmosphere & mood of childhood loss, as well as the pain of surviving while promoting care for the animal and its environment. 

My piece depicts a Pacific Sea Nettle, also known as Chrysaora fuscescens. Pacific Sea Nettle are carnivorous creatures that inhabit the Pacific coast of northern America and southern Canada. They utilize paralyzing venom from detachable, barbed stingers on their tentacles to capture and consume their prey. The juxtaposition of their stinging tentacles and delicate beauty is what fascinated me about the Pacific Sea Nettle. In this artwork, I hope to inspire the viewer to learn more about this incredible animal’s behavior and traits. The rock structures surrounding the jellyfish are covered in largely fabricated plant life. Each of these plants I chose or designed to symbolize certain features of the jellyfish. The conservation of animals like the Pacific Sea Nettle is an important way to insure we can enjoy their beauty for future years.