Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Entry #2- The Tiny World of Frogs

     Frogs are found almost everywhere in the world and have been living on Earth for thousands of years. From being a small dwarf frog (smaller than a dime!) to the Goliath frog growing up to one foot long, frogs are a unique species of short-bodied and tailless amphibians. I decided to write this blog about frogs as it connects to my topic for the first major essay in class! Frogs come in different sizes, colors, and different characteristics. In this blog, I'll be discussing three different, unique frog species; including, the glass frog, Amazon milk frog, and desert rain frog. 

    Up to 150 different species of glass frogs are native to South and Central America. Glass frogs are known for their translucent skin which their organs are displayed! Scientists discovered the frogs had adapted this as it helps them blend into their environment and avoid predators. According to Treehugger.com, these frogs are nocturnal carnivores as their diets consist of tiny spiders, ants, crickets, and sometimes smaller frogs. Glass frogs are found in trees in rainforests and mountains. These little critters get up to 25 millimeters and live up to 14 years in the wild. It's noted that there is possibly more species of glass frogs in the wild, but unknown since they are rare to find.

                                                            Image Source

    Similar to the Glass frogs, Amazon Milk frogs or Mission Golden-Eyed tree frogs are found in rainforest trees in South America. Amazon Milk frogs are known as milk frogs due to a sticky "milk" substance they create that is poisonous to potential predators when threatened. Milk frogs are also nocturnal carnivores eating insects and other small invertebrates. These frogs have blue coloring on their mouths and feet, overall a pale blue-gray color, and black or brown brands. One of the facts stated by Thoughtco.com , as the frogs get older in age their skin begins to started becoming bumpy and speckled. Amazon Milk frog can grow up to 2.5 - 4 inches and live up to 8 years. These frogs can also be great pets as they are easy to take care of with limited handling.

    Unlike the Glass frogs and Amazon Milk frogs, the Desert Rain frogs cannot jump and live in the sand dunes of Namibia and South Africa. Contradicting to common frogs with small bodies and long limbs, Desert Rain frogs have a large, yellow, light-brown body with small limbs. Also known as, Boulenger's short-headed frog or frog web-footed rain frog, they are nocturnal omnivores eating insects and larvae. During the day, Desert Rain frogs spend their daytime burrowed in the sand to avoid the sun. Similar to Glass frogs, Desert Rain frogs also have a transparent patch of skin, in which their internal body organs can be seen.


    Overall, there are thousands of different frog species throughout the world and more to be discovered! All frog species are unique in many ways to help them survive in their environments like the Glass frogs, Amazon Milk frogs, and the Desert Rain frogs. 

   

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Entry #1- Drawing Characters

     One of my favorite hobbies I enjoy doing is drawing my original characters or OCs. Referring to Mary-Catherinerd.com, OCs or original characters are characters anyone can make themselves! Inspiration can come from a book, TV show, colors, animals...fantasy animals, and just about anything! There are no restrictions when it comes to making your own personal original character. OCs can be useful to improving art skills, creativity, and creating friends!

                                      artwork (Nov. 2023) created by me! Featuring one of my OCs. 

    Following, one of the most popular OC games is DND or Dungeons and Dragons. According to dnd.wizards.com, DND is a storytelling-based game used by dice as players go on adventures created by a Dungeon Master. Players create their own characters following a guide sheet including race, class, species, and more. DND is one of the best ways to connect with other people and to start new friendships. Personally, talking with experience!

    OCs can be created just for fun! As I stated in my introduction, one of the best ways to improve on art skills is to create OCs. This is what I use my OCs for! Since I was nine-years-old I began making my own characters after being inspired by the show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I created my own silly, little pony characters that I fell in love with! I began creating more of my own characters as I gotten older and improved on my art. It's one of my favorite things to do! I love drawing and creating art because of the limitless creativity on creating OCs.

                 artwork (Jan. 2024) created by me! Featuring one of my OCs, also a DND character


Blog #10: The Different Mediums in Art

     Ever since I've began drawing more and more at the age of nine, I have explored different art mediums! It's such a fun journey ...