Home > Illustration > Wildlife > Mammals > North American > American Black Bear

American Black Bear

American Black Bear line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

American Black Bear full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The American Black Bear was completed on 4.21.2010. If I had to chose an artistic "nemesis" it would be black fur. For this reason I avoided drawing a black bear for many years. But seeing as I'm on something of a mission to draw all large extant mammals of North America I knew I'd have to eventually draw one. I cheated somewhat by choosing portrait format, but I believe it is as successful as if I had drawn it landscape. The I think the lights and darks really help define the contours of the body.

Information about the American Black Bear:

The American Black Bear is the smallest and most common bear in North America. The live in sparsely inhabited forested areas. They are omnivorous generalist feeders, eating most plant matter such as berries, nuts, young shoots of trees and bushes. They also feed on insect larvae, bees and ants, carrion, fish and the young offspring of elk and deer. They rarely attack humans, although several have been documented. They are the state animal of New Mexico and West Virginia and the state mammal of Louisiana.