To kick off 2026, I wanted to create a definitive piece marking the end of the previous lunar cycle—saying a formal goodbye to the Year of the Snake. This drawing leans into pure, high-impact wildlife portraiture, capturing an upright cobra in a classic, defensive posture with its hood completely flared.

This project provided an incredible opportunity to map out complex, interlocking scale patterns, using a highly disciplined approach to stippling to give the snake's body a realistic, cylindrical volume.

Hand-inked with ultra-fine pigment liners. I focused heavily on the symmetry of the cobra’s hood, utilizing tight dot gradients along the outer edges to make it appear wide, taut, and imposing. The open mouth, complete with visible fangs and a split, extended tongue, anchors the centrepiece with raw, focused energy.

Reptile underbellies and dorsal scales demand completely different texturing styles. I used smooth, horizontal lined shading for the belly plates to give them a sleek appearance, transitioning to tightly packed, individual geometric circles for the coiled tail section to build a rough, textured hide.

Starting a new year with a powerful symbolic animal is a great way to set the tone for the studio table. It serves as a fantastic bridge in the portfolio—closing out the memories of the past year while setting a massive benchmark for the level of detail and contrast I want to achieve moving forward into 2026.