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namu-the-orca β Familiar strangers
#antarctic #beaked #common #delphinus #delphis #dolphin #ice #killer #orca #orcinus #pack #ross #sea #short #type #whale #zealand #gerlache #b #new #antarctica
Published: 2016-09-01 15:31:43 +0000 UTC; Views: 10217; Favourites: 430; Downloads: 0
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Description
New Zealand is rich in cetacean wildlife, of all kinds. Together with the Duskies, Short-beaked common dolphins are perhaps the most numerous of the familiar crew. They live there year-round, roaming around the two islands, making their homes in many of the numerous bays.Once in a while, there are visitors from Antarctica. Small, greyish coloured Killer whales with enormous eyepatches and a skin full of algae. Sightings are few and far between, but it could be that they make this round-trip every year. They may seek the warmer waters to shed their skin, and lose their cast of diatoms with it, for the frigid Antarctic waters are too cold to do so. It has been confirmed that Type B killer whales in a different part of the Antarctic make such trips to South America.
And the Type B's are not alone - Type C (Ross sea) Killer whales are also sporadicallyΒ seen, possibly for the same reasons. Even though human encounters are rare, it might be that these whales come by much more frequently. The resident common dolphins must see them from time to time. Every year visiting, in small numbers, silent, and not nearly as dangerous as the resident Killer whales.
I wonder what they might think of these familiar strangers.
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Comments: 102
This is really stunning! The orcas and dolphins look so peaceful together, and I really love the shafts of sunlight shining through the water. I also love how the orcas' and dolphins' markings are unique to each animal, as it gives them a wonderful individuality.
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Thank you yet again 
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You're certainly welcome! 
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It didn't actually take all that long! For every dolphin I chose one or two real life animals to lend the markings from, so that saved time because I did not have to 'design' everyone by myself. It helps a lot to have a reference for the kind of markings and feel you want for every dolphin.
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Thanks for your explanation; that's really interesting! I think referencing photos of real dolphins gives the dolphins in your artwork even more character, and makes them seem even more lifelike.
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I look at your art and do not understand how can draw so beautifully and accurately. You take some pictures for the basics (example)? Or is it all from your mind? Anatomy is just perfect in my opinion. Light shadows are stunning and realistic. I want to draw just like you.
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Ahh, thank you so much! That's really sweet of you. It took me a long time to get here, and there are still a lot of things I wish I would draw better! I usually start a drawing with an idea. I first try to sketch, and sometimes colour, that idea as much as I can without looking at any photos. That way I don't influence myself, and I keep the 'original' idea so to speak. Then, once I have the idea down, I will gather photos. I use them to discover details, correct poses or body parts, or get inspiration and reference for the colours and lighting in the piece. I always make sure to have multiple references for each aspect, and try not to copy a single one, but rather make my own creation based on multiple photos.
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YOU ARE WELSOME!
This is really good advice!
And do you have old works? i would like to see :3
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I'm glad to hear it! I do have older works in my gallery, you can go back in my gallery and see them. Be aware though, past me was kind of cringy haha.
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yes im actually already scroll down and fond your old works but they looks great as wellΒ Β
You probably spent a lot of time drawing that for achieve such results!
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Started drawing when I was two years old - never stopped
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hhhhhhh your art is so fabuβ₯οΈβ₯οΈβ₯οΈβ₯οΈβ₯οΈβ₯οΈ i wish i can give you llama but i already gave it to someone ;-; but still fabulous iΒ β₯οΈ itΒ Β
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thank you! and no problem about the llama, I'm sure others enjoy them more
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i came to look at this again and i luv how the dolphins all look totally different. like each ones got a unique face like peoples.
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yeaaa that was my jam while painting this (and still is). i love giving them all pretty and unique peepers. dolphins really are like peoples.Β
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Thanks, I'm glad you think so
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love this painting it is so gorgeous and I love learning new things about whales and dolphins but especially Orca. I been to New Zealand where I saw the Common and Hector's Dolphins, I haven't seen the Orcas yet though the day before got to Wellington had Orcas there
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Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it! Very cool that you got to go to New Zealand and see the dolphins there - it's a place I still want to visit some day. Oh, shame that you missed the killer whales so closely! But perhaps some other time or in a different place you will see killer whales
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Your very welcome much and I glad about loving it.
Yea and it on a Princess Cruise ship to so I saw the Common on ship while the Hector was at Akaroa.
yea it was a shame but don't I seen Orcas in the wild in 2008 at Vancouver Island and your belive I saw J pod the pod from the Free Willy's movies and some of the orcas that we see on the movies were still alive Β
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I love everything about this piece, and my favorite is the exceptional attention to detail you put into the variation of the common dolphin markings - this painting in specific is one of the inspirations that led to me deciding on having a common dolphin as the main character in my story!Β
back to the art though - I just keep coming back to it again and again. the posing and composition truly soothe my soul
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Ohhh thank you so much! This is such an incredibly sweet and wonderful comment and it totally made my day when I read it. Sorry for taking so long to reply ;A;
It's just so wonderful to read that you actually notice, and appreciate, all those little individual differences in the Common dolphins' markings. That was one of the most fun parts of this whole painting - finding different 'model' dolphins for the ones in the painting. I love common dolphins, and their variation in markings as just incredible. So much fun to play with
You are too kind, thank you so so much. I'm so glad you like it this much. You're wonderful
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don't worry about taking your time in replying - I often take awhile to get back to people myself, ahaha, so I understand
but yeah! I was looking for a species that I could make characters out of that would still be easily differentiable from eachother (a difficult task when you're making non-human characters with natural colors), and stumbling across this artwork of yours was somewhat of a hallelujah moment, I have to say
YOU are wonderful 
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Thank you very much, glad you like it
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This is so pretty! I loooove seeing their dorsal capes, so beautiful Namu
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Thank you so much, goose! They really are exceedingly pretty with those fancy dorsal capes
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This is amazing!
Traveling to New Zealand next winter. REALLY hope I see dolphins.
What time of year are orcas most commonly spotted in NZ waters, do you know?
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Thank you very much! Oh that's super exciting :0 If you go to the right places (like Kaikoura for duskies, or the Bay of Plenty/Hauraki gulf for commons and bottlenoses) I'm sure you'll have a really really good chance of seeing dolphins. As for orcas, I'm not sure. I wouldn't bet anything on Antarctics, they're a total enigma, but New Zealand does have its resident population of stingray-munching killer whales that can pop up anywhere along NZ's coastline. But apparently they're seen mostly from March-Oct. These two websites have pretty good info
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Ah, thank you so much! So exited. I am landlocked, and jump at any chance I have at visiting the coast.
Β I most likely won't see any orcas~ but hey, who knows. That would so incredible. Same with whales.
Anyway, thanks for the info and the links. They were really helpful Β
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Ahh I feel you there! I don't live very far from the coast, but still I don't get to go there often. Any time I have to chance to go see the the ocean or the sea I take it
Best thing with whalewatching is to first and foremost love the fact you're out on the water with a pretty view, and take any animals you'll see as a bonus, no matter if they're 'common' or unexpected. There's this great quote in one of my whalewatching guides that goes something like: "By a person's reaction to seeing a Fin whale you can tell how long they've been whalewatching. A novice will gaze in amazement at seeing their first great whale. Someone who's been out a few times before might roll their eyes at seeing something so common, wishing it had been a rarer or more unusual species. But it's the truly experienced whalewatchers who will watch in quiet contentment, knowing that any whale is a magnificent being to see and a treat to come across." I just thought that was very lovely
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That quote is gorgeous. And I will definitely keep that, and the rest of your advice, in mind when whale watching.
Thank you. Β
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I'd say this is museum quality artwork you have here ma'm
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Ahhw, that's so nice of you! Really happy you like it
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π You're very welcome
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Hot digity damn!Β
Always love seeing such spectacular work from you!Β
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Hot digity; haha
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Great work; as usual !
''' Hi; Cousins How'r you all doing ? '''
Orcas : ''' Mediocre. Too many Submarines; to less Seals ''
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Thank you! Hehe, I'm afraid that does touch up on reality a bit. Although I'm not sure how many submarines actually go around the Antarctic, I've no doubt the Antarctic killers too, have to deal with much more noise in the ocean than before..
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You're very welcome !
Unfortunately that's very true; Oceans become very noisy places after humanity's new technologies
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I saw your drawing tutorial from 2011, I'm so glad you are still active! I love cetaceans as well
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Aww, thank you! It's always a shame when you find nice art and then find out the artist stopped posting like a year ago.. Happens to me every now and then. Anyway, that's really nice to hear
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Yeah that has happened to me too much times
Ill be looking forward to seeing you post more art
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Dayyyyyaammmm.
I look at your paintings like this and I have no words, really 
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Aw Nim, you're leaving such nice comments all over! I'm real pleased with this one, so I'm really glad you like it too
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