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Western Painted Turtle

Western Painted Turtle line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Western Painted Turtle full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The line art illustration of the Western Painted Turtle was completed in 2003, and was hand tinted digitally in 2007. This was one of the first drawings I had converted into a full color image, after many trials and errors with Photoshop. The drawing is based on a photo by talented wildlife photographer Pete Carmichael.

Information about the Western Painted Turtle:

Western Painted Turtles get their name from the brightly colored carapace of red, olive and yellow. As the name implies the Western Painted Turtle is found in the western and central parts of North America. They are commonly seen in marshes, ponds, streams and lakes. They are medium sized turtles, growing to between 4-10 inches long. Painted Turtles are omnivorous, although they tend to eat more plants and less meat. These turtles have the amazing ability to survive the cold winters by actually changing their blood chemistry, which allows them to have their body temperature drop to just a few degrees above freezing. The Western Painted Turtle is the official reptile of the state of Colorado.