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Southern Rockhopper Penguin

Southern Rockhopper Penguin line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Southern Rockhopper Penguin full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

I hadn't drawn a penguin for many years. In fact, I had only drawn one (an Emperor Penguin and young) since about 2003, when I had been commission to draw a series of three penguins for a private client who's wife had traveled to Antarctica to see these bird in their native environment. I had actually removed this image from the library because I thought it wasn't very good, but revisited it and thought with some work it could be much improved. This drawing is the result.

Information about the Southern Rockhopper Penguin:

Rockhopper Penguins are small-medium sized aquatic birds, notable for their distinctive cluster of feathers on their heads, which starts in a yellow streak over the eyes, and carry to the back of the head ending in an impressive crest. These flightless birds grow to about 18-23 inches tall (45-58 cm) and about 5-8 pounds (2-3 kg). They are found in the Falkland Islands region. There are several major colonies with an estimated three million breeding pairs. As their name implies, they are known for their ability to hop from rock to rock when going back and forth from the ocean. Rockhoppers feed mostly on crustaceans, such as krill. These birds live in large, noisy colonies and are very feisty, and will attack anything that comes near their nests.