1 800 913-7906
Accurate drawings of various types of spiders and scorpions. All illustrations are hand drawn and expertly rendered. In the gallery is the Black Widow Spider, Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion, Mexican Red-Kneed Tarantula, Pacific Forest Scorpion and several other species. High quality prints made on acid-free archival paper are available of all drawings in the gallery. If you do not see the scorpion or spider you're looking for please contact the artist to make a suggestion. Custom illustrations of specific animals can be ordered as well. For more information and pricing please call 1 (800) 913-7906 or send an email to the artist. All drawings shown are available in both B&W line art versions and color
The wildlife drawings are also available for stock art illustration.
Illustrating spiders, scorpions and other arachnids can be a little challenging. The invertebrates themselves, not so much. In fact they are always a pleasure to draw, and their hard exoskeletons lend themselves well to the medium of pen and ink. The problem arises from the reaction to the, especially the spiders, that some people inevitably have. While I don't fear spiders and other arachnids - and even admire and appreciate them - some shrink from the sight of them. But these are insects that are part of our world and environment, so I don't think that because some might find them grotesque, dangerous and unsightly they should be any less represented when I add illustrations to the image library. I'm not sure when I'll be drawing another spider or other arachnid, but if you'd like to suggest a species, please feel free to drop me an email.
Arachnids are a class of invertebrates of the phylum arthropoda. These include spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, ticks and mites. They are characterized by having eight legs (most insects have six) a hard exoskeleton, and jointed legs used for walking, or creeping along a web. Also making them distinctive is that their body is divided into two segments - the head and thorax - rather than three like other insects. They do not have antennae. Nearly all living species are terrestrial but there are some marine and freshwater species. There are over 100,000 indentified types of arachnid. The largest extant arachnid is the Indian Scorpion 11.5 inches (29.2 cm) As there are thousands of undiscovered species, most likely the smallest would be a tick or mite. Many arachnids are dangerous to humans if bitten, but mostly they are benign animals that pose little threat to anything outside of the prey they hunt or catch in their webs.
Tarantulas are the largest known arachnids on the planet. They measure between two and four inches in length on average. However, the largest of them - Pseudotherathosa apophysis can grow to over 13 inches long. These spiders are covered with thick hair. This hair serves as a defense mechanism against predators. When handled the spider's hairs can cause itchiness and discomfort. A few of the species can actually launch these hair from their back legs at potential predators. In general tarantulas are dark black or brown in color, although some species such as the Mexican Red-Kneed or Chilean Rose-Rose Haired have vibrant coloration, with red, yellow or orange stripes along their legs. Often the coloration of the species is reflected in the name of the spider. Tarantulas live in a variety of habitats, although most live in arid and semi-arid regions. They can also be found in tropical rainforests and temperate forests. They are formidable predators, feeding on a variety of prey such as other arachnids, invertebrates, frogs, mice, snakes, lizards and even birds. As the tarantula grows, they need to molt. During this time they are very vulnerable. These spiders are very popular as pets, and can be handled without being threatening to the holder. Bite are rare and normally only when the spider is provoked. While their bite is painful it is not typically life-threatening to the person. In fact not a single case of death from a tarantula has been recorded. Symptoms can vary, depending on allergic reaction of the victim.
