After creating custom pieces for friends and filling the portfolio with heavy, textured beasts, I realized I had left someone very important out. I felt a bit guilty that I’d done a drawing for everyone else except my sister. Since she absolutely loves native Australian wildlife, with the platypus being her absolute favourite; I sat down at the studio desk to fix that with a dedicated A3 piece just for her.

The illustration captures the unique creature gliding through the water, allowing me to focus on the soft, dense texture of its waterproof fur and the distinct, smooth surface of its bill.

Hand-inked on an A3 canvas. To give the platypus a sense of weightless motion, I kept the background entirely clean, letting the smooth gradients of the stippling define its form. I layered the dots heavily along the top of its back and tail to establish a natural underwater light source coming from above.

Platypus fur is incredibly thick and fine, which requires a very soft, meticulous approach to stippling. I had to pivot from the rugged, harsh dot work used on predators like the crocodile and snake, instead blending ultra-fine, closely packed dot gradients to make the pelt look velvety and sleek, while keeping the webbed feet and bill looking rubbery.

Gifting artwork to family is always the most rewarding part of keeping a studio archive. Turning a classic piece of Australiana into a highly detailed, hand-inked surprise for my sister makes this one of the most meaningful personal milestones in the entire collection.