T06 daphnia

(Water Flea) Brenda Hoddinott T-06 ADVANCED: DIVERSE ANIMALS

In this project, you draw an unusual microscopic animal commonly referred to as a water flea. As with many advanced projects, both verbal instructions and visual steps may seem complex, as it is assumed that you already have strong drawing skills. However, you may be able to successfully complete this project with only basic skills if you have completed most of the lessons in the beginner sections.

This project consists of the following three sections:

STRUCTURAL INSIGHTS INTO DAPHNIA: The main part of a water flea’s body is enclosed in a kind of transparent shell. Viewing one through a microscope is really cool, because you can watch the heart beating, and pumping blood throughout its tiny body. I have marked the names of the major parts of a water flea’s body on an illustration to help you understand its basic anatomy as you draw.

SKETCHING THE PROPORTIONS OF THE BODY: you lightly sketch the various parts of the water flea’s body proportionately correct.

ADDING SHADING AND FINAL DETAILS: With various pencils, and hatching, crosshatching, and squirkling, you add final details as you add a full range of values to the interior and exterior forms of the water flea’s transparent body.

Suggested drawing supplies for this project include: good quality white drawing paper, graphite pencils, kneaded and vinyl erasers, your favorite blending tools, a pencil sharpener, and a sandpaper block.

6 PAGES – 7 ILLUSTRATIONS Recommended for artists from age 12 to adult, and fine art educators in home school, academic

and recreational environments.

Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada – 2005 (Revised 2006)

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott.

E-mail [email protected] Web sites http://www.finearteducation.com and http://www.drawspace.com

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STRUCTURAL INSIGHTS INTO DAPHNIA The main part of a water flea’s body is enclosed in a transparent shell, which allows you to see its internal organs. Viewing one through a microscope is really cool, because you can watch the heart beating, and pumping blood throughout its tiny body. I have marked the names of the major parts of a water flea’s body on the following illustration:

ILLUSTRATION 06-01

SKETCHING THE PROPORTIONS OF THE BODY In this section, you lightly sketch the various parts of the water flea’s body proportionately correct. Keep the rough sketch really light, so it can be easily erased.

1) Outline the major parts of the body with an HB pencil.

ILLUSTRATION 06-02



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This strange little animal (many are less than 1mm long) is an imposter in that it really isn’t a flea at all! Daphnia thrive in ponds and lakes all over the world, and move through their watery surroundings with a fast hopping movement, similar to that of a flea; hence, the nickname of water flea!

ILLUSTRATION 06-03

2) Add the four antennae, the eye, and the gut.

3) Lighten your sketch lines by patting them with a kneaded eraser.

ILLUSTRATION 06-04

4) Redraw the water flea with thin neat lines. Use a freshly sharpened pencil to outline the additional body parts.

Refer to Illustrations 06-01 and 06-04. Don’t forget the individual sections of the antennae, the heart, the brood pouch with eggs inside, and the foot with claws.



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ADDING SHADING AND FINAL DETAILS Use whichever pencils you prefer to achieve a full range of values from light to very dark. The intricate details and shading are rendered with a combination of hatching, crosshatching, and squirkling, and are blended in various places to appear smooth.

ILLUSTRATION 06-05

5) Add light and middle values throughout the various sections, by using different shading techniques.

ILLUSTRATION 06-06

6) Add texture to sections of the eggs, gut, and heart with squirkles.

7) Darken the shading in some sections as shown.

8) Gently blend some values with a blending tool that is appropriate for the size of your drawing.

9) Use a very sharp pencil to lightly add the intricate details of the antennae.



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Delicacies in the diet of Daphnia include bacteria and very tiny algae. On the other hand, these tiny animals often become lunch for small fish, even though their crusty exteriors make them rather difficult and unpleasant to swallow.

ILLUSTRATION 06-07

10) Complete the drawing by adding the detailed sections of the head, the lower part of the body, the eye, and the foot and claw.

Check over your drawing carefully and make changes to any sections you aren’t happy with.

The eggs of Daphnia are incubated in a brood pouch and their babies are born live. Should you have an opportunity to examine a water flea under a microscope, you’ll discover a truly breathtakingly beautiful tiny animal.



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BRENDA HODDINOTT - BIOGRAPHY As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist, and illustrator, Brenda Hoddinott utilizes diverse art media including graphite, technical pen, colored pencil, chalk pastel, charcoal, conté crayon, and oil paints.

My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter,

the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable. >Brenda Hoddinott<

Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Brenda grew up in the small town of Corner Brook. She developed strong technical competencies with a personal commitment to self directed learning, and the aid of assorted “Learn to Draw” books. During Brenda’s twenty-five year career as a self-educated civilian forensic artist, numerous criminal investigation departments have employed Brenda’s skills, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police departments. In 1992, Brenda was honored with a commendation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and in 1994, she was awarded a Certificate of Membership from “Forensic Artists International”.

Her home-based art career included graphic design, and teaching recreational drawing and painting classes. As supervisor of her community’s recreational art department, Brenda hired and trained teachers, and designed curriculum for several children’s art programs. In 1998, Brenda chose to end her eighteen-year career as an art educator in order to devote more time to writing, drawing, painting, and developing her websites.

Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporates her unique style and innovative approach to curriculum development. This site offers downloadable and printable drawing classes for students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult. Students of all ages, levels and abilities have praised the simple step-by-step instructional approach. This site is respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world.

LEARN-TO-DRAW BOOKS BY BRENDA HODDINOTT Drawing for Dummies (2003): Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York, NY, this 336 page book

is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing People (2004): Winner of the Alpha-Penguin Book of the Year Award 2004, Alpha - Pearson Education – Macmillan, Indianapolis, IN, this 360 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.

T06 daphnia

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