Young Tapir with Puffin, 9" x 10" Copic Markers with Digital Sky/Text
Yikes! I left town for a few days and totally trainwrecked the vibe of my methodical blogging (twice a week). I finished “Faded” for Illustration Friday at the absolute 11th hour (about 11pm on Thursday!) but did not love it and did not post it.
Here we are at the next week already. For the topic: Hurry! At Illustration Friday.
Tuwawi* the puffin has been trying to instill in her friend Giuseppe, a tapir, the importance of being on time to all kinds of engagements. As a long-suffering bird whose husband is the unhurried, moseying type, she thought that starting the tapir young would be a good foundation. Just now they are (sort of) hurrying to an afternoon fruit feast at the home of Guk, a rhinocerus hornbill and great friend of Tuwawi and her husband.
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*Tuwawi! means quick! in Inuit. She is from Alaska but unlike the rest of her extended family, neither she nor her husband could stand the cold. After a few months of searching for a suitable home, they ended up in tropical Malaysia of all places. They really liked the bountiful fruits, but it was Giuseppe the baby tapir who sealed the deal. Sometimes two creatures from different worlds just really hit it off. As for Tuwawi’s husband, he tends to socialize mainly with the hornbills (in part due to their naturally unhurried demeanor).
Tapir Running photo reference, Font: Ugly Qua
Oh this is gorgeous! I think these two characters of yours are some of my favourites. Guiseppe is particularly lovely and his coat is just stunning!
Thank you for your message, I like your colorful drawings too!!
Cindy, your work is fabulous! I so enjoyed checking out the art on your other posts…you’ve mastered the Copic Markers! i’m embarrassed to admit i’ve yet to try them. Your work is beautiful – i’ll be back! xoxo
Great characters as always. A puffin and a tapir! Not the first things to come to mind,and so fun!
“…an afternoon fruit feast…” I like the sound of that. You have quite the imagination! Nice illo, too. Giuseppe looks like he’s rarin’ to go :)
I love your take on interpreting the weekly IF prompts, plus your stories are always so imaginative Fabulous copic work, as always.
I was looking out for your next one and again; they are so nice! The whole totaly is great! Text and picture!
I think puffin has to learn some patience! You know I am now wondering if a Tapir is a real animal or one that you made up!
Haha, well, I don’t think they look quite the same in the wild. But the shape is quite similar. :D
As always, love your colours and idea…
congrats… :)
Nice drawing, interesting story, beautiful colors! I especially love how similar tones are picked up in both animals, yet they’re not matchy-matchy!
I’m really enjoying the progress pics. The moving strip really brings the characters to life.
Your art is too vibrant for faded anyways! I’m glad the tapir and puffin are getting their day to shine.
Delightful character illustration and great imaginations as always!!!
How fun is this!!! I love the beautiful job you did here. The dibs and dabs of yellow in the tapir’s lovely skin is great. The bird is my favorite part! Love it!!!
Once again your beautifully whimsical characters carry the message. I love the story as well. beautiful texturing! i love your work!
The tapir looks like he is “gulumphing” – to borrow a Lewis Carroll phrase from The Jabberwocky. So naturally the Puffin becomes Jub-jub bird in my mind’s eye:-) Wonderfully wacky as always!
I really enjoy your pairing of creatures. They always relate so very well. AND love the way you break borders, really effective.
Both look like real characters…the tapir is Italian?
Great work, I’d love a peek at ‘faded’ too!
Thanks! His parents are big fans of Italian opera. They live in Malaysia, though. ;)
I would love to have a tapir as a pet….:)
( do you know if they eat also artichokes??)
I LOVE their patterns. Og my goodness. I am in love with the tapir. You’ll get your groove again.
Thanks to everyone for all the nice comments!
I do not know if tapirs eat artichokes. Artichokes are so tricky!
Very imaginative as always. You’ve captured the sense of urgency and movement very well. Really nice work! I’d still love to see the piece you did for Faded.
What a great friend! nice color work
Oh Cindy How I Enjoy Looking At Your Work!!! So Lovely :)
They are quite a unique pair. How do you come up with these great pairings? It looks like Tuwawi is trying to help push Giuseppe along.
Beautiful! It reminds me of my family!
Cindy…..I recently found your website and absolutely LOVe your art!! I’ve been following your Etsy shop for awhile but did not know you did all these wild tapirs, schrews, and ardvarks.
Check out my website http://www.claranilles.com for some crazy colorful ponies, bison, and octopi!
Am following your Blog now……
Best….clara
HI Cindy!
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I LOVE your creatures… they are so bright and fun!I just bought my first Copic markers a couple weeks ago, after seeing a little video of an artist using them for illustration. Can’t wait to get them under control!
Good to meet you!
Kim :-)
Beautiful colours and creatures! I like those ornamental structures.
Hi Cindy
I too am catching up on a backlog – I linked to my latest catch up – about “Your dog will witness your handiwork and indicate amazement, awe and approval.
Whereas your cat will look on clearly awaiting disaster and indicate that that’s not the way it would be doing it nor would anyone else it knows be doing it that way either.”
I love how you show the art developing what an extra bonus. Only I liked the Tapir best just when you first add the spirals.
I don’t have the confidence to use felt markers. Command Z undo, the main reason I went half digital. Cheers, thanks for the good work.
I know how you feel geting off track with the blogging and art because of other things. I am just getting back in to nthe swing of things after preparing anfd having our son’s wedding here at out house. I’ve been checking in on your blog (loved the seeing eye cat) but in the evening on the mac which won’t let me comment. I think it is mac vs pc personally.
I like the way the colors of the puffin and the tapir complement each other. Tapirs are such interesting creatures and you have quite captured him
Love the puffin! And you make a tapir just about as cute as a tapir can be!
Perhaps Guiseppe is just being stubborn with Puffin because he really doesn’t want to walk. Deep down, this tapir might actually prefer to fly! Cindy, your whimsical patterns and colors continue to delight, but I must say, your writing has become increasingly hilarious. I thoroughly enjoy your imaginative (and detailed) stories!
Thanks so much, Mardi! I get a lot of inspiration from art like yours that tells great stories. And thanks so much to everyone for the very kind and very appreciated comments!
It’s true, this Illustration Friday thing brings a lot of self induced pressure with it for some reason. It’s like a job responsibility. ha ha.
First puffin and tapir I’ve seen in blogger-land. Very original!
Love Giuseppe, your sort of pakir! Thanks for coming around, see you at IF!
That tapir has exactly the rigidity of body that I know from the zoo. Well done!
Lovely work. I love the colour choices you make and always appreciate that you share some of your process too.
lovely illustration!Colorful as always! I like to see the progress pics
That’s the most beautiful tapir I’ve ever seen ♥
Very cute colors and patterns! Nice work!
Thanks so much for visiting my blog! Please visit again soon! :)
Great illustration.
It was made with markers?!
If it was, that’s really cool – never seen markers with such possibilities.
Great imagination and illustration, so colourful and energetic.
This is so beautiful Cindy. The colours and patterns are just right for the creatures.
Well, good thing they hurry, now they’re in time for Illustration Friday :) The pair of them look great, those colousrs are so vibrant!andthe story about Tuwawi is priceless!!
Sometimes rushing to get something completed at the last minute helps when the topic is, “HURRY”. Another beautiful job!
HEY! Okay Okay! I have a new favorite!! This one! awesome. Love love the puffin and just a fab pair! So cool how you just master those textures!
Yay! A tapir!!! Love these under-rated creatures!!! And the puffin is a cutie! I’ve said it before – I just love how you bring unusual creatures into your illustrations!!
Nice and original style, Cindy.