This is my drawing of a Northern crested newt (Triturus cristatus).
It is one of two species of salamander in Norway, and can grow up to be about 15 cm long.
It is most widespread in Eastern and Southern Norway, with smaller populations registered as far north as Trøndelag.
It is a fast swimmer, but moves very slowly on land, where it is often found in damp places under rocks and logs.
Wintering occurs in frost-free places on land, in rocks, stumps, small rodent burrows, under tree roots and other cavities in the ground.
Hibernation lasts 6–7 months, where many individuals often lie together.
They feed on insects, worms and other small creatures both on land and in water.
This well fed newt is drawn exclusively with a 0.5 mm fineliner, over a basic pencil sketch.
Process:
1. The initial pencil sketch done. Ready for some pen work.
2. The pencil sketch fully outlined with ink, and started stippling on the eyes and the right foot.
3. All four legs done, and most of the face completed.
4. The whole body done, except for the tail. I spent a lot of time stippling the sides, trying to get the skin to look rough.
5. The finished drawing, tail included. Drawn on A4 paper from a Royal Talens sketchbook.
The whole process took me about 15 hours from start to finish, and most of that time was, not surprisingly, spent stippling.
Fun to do, and good to be done with.
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