Scientific Illustrations and Observations By Carlos Vaca Angus

Spiny backed orb weaver Scientific name: Gasteracantha cancriformis is a native Florida spider species that I've seen since childhood. This watercolor painting was truly an expression of love for the spider. I Have always loved spiders since the day I met my dad for the 1st time in childhood in a camping trip on a farm owned by my family. I was scared, and he showed me there was nothing to be scared of as we pondered upon one of the biggest spiders I'd seen sitting on my tent. This interaction caused me to be kinder and more loving to creatures of all sizes and is a big part of the reason my personality is what it is today. This species of spider was the first I'd seen when I came back from my trip to Colombia, and it's one that I will always admire. I drew this one as a loving memoir to these memories. Conditions: A typical sunny Florida day.  

 

  Pictured is the final illustration of Sea Purslane: Sesuvium portulacastrum in its framing ready to be presented at the FAU Wilkes Symposium. I love how everything came out and how I was able to utilize color theory to replicate the pink reddish color of the roots and their depth. I am elated to see how my coloration has improved through these posts.

  This project on Sea Purslane is dedicated to color theory using color pencils. Pictured is a small section of the plant showing how complex its root system is. It’s pink coloration is used to protect from ultraviolet damage, and its structure is greatly adapted toward collecting water before it seeps through the sand it grows on. Conditions were a sunny day at Coral Cove.