CBA Jeffs/Intricate Ink

CBA Jeffs/Intricate Ink

Using black ink pens and colored pencils, American artist and illustrator Tim Jeffs is creating a veritable ink zoo of intricately drawn animals. Ever intrigued by their diversity and complexity, Jeffs strives to capture his subjects’ essence in his portraits. He begins each drawing with extensive research into a given animal’s conservation status, habitats, habits, and physical appearance. He then closely studies its skin or fur but lets artistic license dictate the patterns, textures, and colors he applies. He enjoys “having the control of making it my own creation, and not just another photograph.” Jeffs does, however, pay photorealistic attention to drawing each creature’s eyes, which “give it a personality, express emotion and let the animal tell its own story as it looks back at the viewer.”<br><br /><br /><br>The artist’s story began in Maryland in 1965. Born the seventh of eight children, and from a young age fascinated by drawing, Jeffs was a national award–winning artist while still in high school. A scholarship to Parsons School of Design in New York set the stage for a twenty-five-year career designing books, logos, and websites for Scientific American, Sunset Publishing, Time Life Books and others. Jeffs began sketching animals for personal pleasure; his finely detailed drawings have gone on to garner worldwide attention.