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European Hedgehog

European Hedgehog line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

European Hedgehog full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The European Hedgehog was completed on 1.2.2012. It is the first drawing of the New Year. I have to admit, I almost shelved this drawing several times as I found the rendering of the animal extremely difficult. I pushed through and after several hours came up with what I thought was a decent - not excellent though - drawing. I might go back and work on this image again sometime soon. The drawing is based on a photo by Antti Yrjönen.

Information about the European Hedgehog:

The European Hedgehog - also called the Common Hedgehog or simply Hedgehog - is a small mammal native to the forests, farmlands and suburban gardens of Europe from England to Germany, south through Italy and north into Scandinavia. They are omnivorous and will eat nearly anything it come across from worms, beetles and other invertebrates to bird eggs, frogs and food intended for domestic cats and dogs. They are generally nocturnal though are sometimes encountered during the daylight hours. While generally having little impact on their environments in some areas their numbers have grown so large as to make them into a nuisance, especially in areas where they are not native to such as New Zealand. These small animals are known for rolling themselves into spiny balls when threatened.