I don't get to draw wolves very much, I haven't been able to get many decent reference photos of them but I'd like to do more. This wolf is a gray wolf living at the Athens Zoo in Greece (hence the name 'Liekos' greek for wolf in case you were wondering). I went on a Mediterranean cruise in 2011 and instead of visiting the typical tourist attractions there I instead chose to rent a cab and drive the 60 km outside the city to the zoo. It was the best decision and by far my favorite day of the whole cruise. What strikes me the most about wolves is how eerily they are like dogs. Especially in captivity where they tend to be lounging or sleeping. This young male rolled in the grass, stretched just like a waking dog would and then gave me this pose. It's very subtle but when he turned his head, the eye on the right closed ever so slightly, being moved by the rolls of fur and skin bunching up and it's something I've seen on my own dogs a hundred times. It makes for an interesting dichotomy, the left side is alert, all wolf - dangerous, wild, predatory; the right side is calm, relaxed, and almost inviting of a scratch behind the ear. It's subtle but I think it's there.

16" x 20"
Scratchboard and Ink
Original Artwork Available