By Lauren Beavis via SWNS
A meerkat, skunk, armadillo, tortoise, snake and bearded dragon attended a miniature art exhibition – to see their “pawtraits” for the first time.
The animal life drawings, hung in an animal-sized art gallery made to scale, were created by third-year students studying a degree in animation at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA).
The exhibition was titled “Please Don’t Eat the Art.”
From black-and-white depictions in charcoal and pencil, to sketches in oil, pastel and watercolor, around 100 students took part in an animal life drawing class.
Harriet Croucher, a lecturer in animation at UCA, and organizer of the exhibition, said: “I don’t know when else in their lifetime the students would be able to draw animals up close and personal, working on your artwork alongside you.
“And as they move constantly, students often end up surprised by what they produce – we got some well-observed and expressive artworks.
“But, never have we welcomed the animals back to see the drawings for themselves – and what better critics?
“I’m just glad none of them ate the pieces.”
An animation student said they enjoyed the unique experience – particularly when the animals were “causing chaos.”
They added: “Being able to draw animals as they are – the texture, color and markings – helped us capture their personality and their essence, and when they started running around and causing chaos that was fun.”
