ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

Just wondering, are you active?

[Velwyrm: Hey. You know when you plan something out for months and you work for hours on it and as soon as you start said project it fizzles out?

Unfortunately bad luck, tragedy, grief and just really difficult times have been in abundance since the start of this year for me. And while this blog was truly a light within that, life got busier, and tougher, and my fixations have changed since starting this.

That isn’t a criticism of the show or of this idea by any means! I would genuinely love to keep going with it, but right now life has gotten too difficult and I feel like I started this at the wrong time, unbeknownst to me.

I won’t promise about picking it up again in the future, as I’m a very busy person, and I haven’t watched DunMeshi in months due to reminders of said hard times that it was helping to get me through.

If I pick it up again, I’ll pick it up again, but thank you so much for your interest still, and all of the support for this blog nonetheless.

I also have another askblog @ask-the-sand-fam that is more active (though due to hectic life conditions, is on pause until things calm down) if you’d something of mine from a different fandom that I am currently fixated on for nostalgic reasons.]

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

[Velwyrm: Heya folks, I’m a biologist and I draw a lot of people cuddling with and interacting with wild animals. DO NOT DO THIS. These interactions are purely fantastical and should not be copied or followed for this reason. Be safe and don’t die from a 100% preventable disease.]

sorry if i’m being a party pooper but because rabies is apparently the new joke on here ??? please remember that rabies has an almost 100% fatality rate after symptoms develop so if you’re bitten or scratched by an animal that you aren’t 100% sure is vaccinated then GO TO A DOCTOR. it’s not a joke. really. 

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

[Velwyrm: Because this is relevant to this blog, here’s all I’ve been doing today: Bird ringing, dormouse box checking, bird, butterfly & dragonfly IDing, then some more invertebrate IDing (found 2 earwigs 🥰💖) and some bat echolocation data collection.

Will update as the days go. Once I get my laptop working again I’ll be able to continue this blog properly!

I’m also going to set up a FAQ page because so far I’ve mostly gotten the same few questions, and that’s fine, but I’d like to work on these most popular ones digitally! Others I feel have less pressure to answer traditionally if and when I have time, which is why I’ve been putting them off atm without a tablet 💖]

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[Velwyrm: Heya folks, another update: my computer AND my tablet are now shot. Going to try to get my computer fixed, then sort out my tablet once I come back from the real reason I wanted to update you all:

I’m going on a research trip! Only for a week to study marine invertebrates, rare shoal plants & nocturnal vertebrates, but related to this AU and very exciting nonetheless! I’m leaving tomorrow, and likely won’t update still until I’ve got my technology sorted out 😭]

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

hello :) i found your account because i am a teen interested in a career in scientific illustration. can you tell me more about it? and respectfully i would like to ask: is it a viable career? thank you and i wish you all the best 🪴😊

[Velwyrm: Hello and welcome!

And yes, it certainly is and has been for hundreds of years! Important career for all sorts of reasons and still heavily used.

Honestly I’m mostly in the sciences than I am in the art world, even though I draw nearly every day, but I know that it’s very much recommend to have a degree in Biology/Botany/Zoology (like I’m doing currently) especially if you’re going into the medical sciences for Sci-Illustration.

I feel like, personally if you aren’t in a position where you are already in the science world (e.g. museum work, science magazine work, etc), and aren’t currently doing an art degree (which can also be an in for this kind of work) then you can still become a Sci Illustrator, it’ll just a more of an awkward, harder and longer journey unless you’re lucky. Like with any Bio & Art career, you need study your subjects hard & be well-practiced.

People can get snapped up by companies on Instagram etc. for an artist’s independent work, but this is very rare and you usually need a large following. It’s never worked for me, and I wouldn’t recommend hoping that one day someone will notice you 10 years down the line. I’d still keep a port folio regardless of what you decide to do though.

So, a good place to start out completely without a very expensive degree (which is very much worth it, providing you network with people and gain as much experience/oppertunities as possible too) is to practice, and practice, and practice. Go out in nature and sketch/paint, draw copies of animal photos online or in nature books, take Skill Share courses. I would recommend this especially because if they give you a certificate at the end, then you can mention it on your CV. Shows that you’re going out of your way to learn.

If you’re confident, then another good place to help build your CV would be to contact charity organisations (linked to animals or plants) through Linked In or their own websites, offer to illustrate some things for them with your artwork attached.

Charities often appreciate any help they can get, are usually nice to work with, and it’ll give you some professional experience. If they turn you down then, hey, you can still ask them where to improve and who to seek out next.

I only have a diploma in Animation as the highest level of an art degree, but I would also look online to see any if there are remote (work at home) Sci Illustration degrees, or if your local colleges or universities offer them (mine do not) then you’ve got a clear path.

This might be very messy to read but I hope it gave you some starting points, that I, myself would take if not for the current path I’m going down. I’m still planning to take some skill share courses myself! Our ability to learn and grow is immeasurable.

Even just reading this and reaching out: Congrats! You’re already well on your way to becoming a scientific illustrator! Now use that bravery to reach out to charities or colleges and go get that career 💖]

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[Velwyrms: Still goes for this too, I’ve got editing on the go but until my tablet is working, it’s going to be tricky with the art style I’ve been using to answer as many answers I’m planning, traditionally.]

Tablet cable died so i won’t be posting any digital art for at least a week folks

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

Tablet cable died so i won��t be posting any digital art for at least a week folks

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

[Velwyrms: Heya gang! Just an update, while I have been very busy recently dealing with IRL things (work, huge life changes and grief) I understand that replies are taking too long by my own standards, as someone who uses drawing as a positive & fun break.

So, as much as I want to draw all these (collectively hundreds of) super cool animals that people are asking to see (character favourites specifically, which is the most requested ask), I’m just going to edit a bunch of pictures together for them instead. That way I can actually focus on getting through these wonderful asks & get to actually introducing the mystery animal I’ve been hinting at for a while now.

Hopefully you’ll see a big update very soon!]

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

What are y'alls favorite ecosystems?

Laios: The Australian Outback is full of some of the most amazing and deadly species on the planet, with unique adaptations that are rare to find anywhere else on earth. It has some of the most incredible views, and the arid environment is always persevering and thriving in the most unexpected ways. The outback is a place of constant wonder and nostalgia for me. Ever since I was a kid, and up until recently really, I always struggled to find a place where I could fit in and be myself. Me and Falin grew up on a small Emu farm in the bush, so I spent a lot of time on the outskirts of the outback, sticking to the same paths so that I wouldn't get lost, and despite it being dangerous, as long as I was careful, it ended up providing a safe haven for me until I saved up enough to leave the country and forge my own path in the world.

Falin: Definitely Tropical Rainforests, they hold the largest number of insect species on the planet (2.5 million in the Amazon Rainforest alone!) and are endless in their importance. There are so many things left to discover in them, from hundreds of hidden cave systems, around 80,000 plant species and, along with the ocean, they act almost as the lungs of the earth, providing most of the oxygen we need to survive. Last year, Marcille and I worked with SPUN trying to map as many mychorrzial fungi as possible, in several tropical forests of South America, Africa and Australia. After a year spent buried in the undergrowth, among the ferns, moss and mulch, it's like you can feel Earth's beating heart. I would love to return to one of them soon.

Marcille: Archipelagos. Groups of islands, both tropical and temperate are my favourite places of study. Every island has it's own unique ecosystem and these multitudes of them contain the secrets of evolution, genetics and cultural changes throughout history. From animals adapting to each island and forming new species, to ethnobotany and traditions that change and adapt, stemming from when people first took to the sea, and the legacies they leave behind to this day.

Chilchuck: The Irish Countryside. Valleys, Vales or Dales, whatever you wanna call them, there's nowhere I like being more. Despite having travelled the world with Laios, Falin, Marcille, and later Senshi, there isn't much that compares to the rolling hills of home.

Senshi: Microbiomes of all habitats. People often overlook the importance of the little things, and all the good they do for us in return for leaving them be. Macrophotography has always been a large passion of mine, and I'm fortunate enough to have landed a career in capturing the beauty of it all.

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

Hello biologists- How does a turtle in its shell shape up against living armor in its, uh, armor? Taste-wise, prep-wise, etc.

Laios: Living armour? Now there's a thought--!

Marcille: Anon, please don't encourage him, it's all he's going to be thinking about all day and we've got a research paper to write up.

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

Should i be eating the green parts of strawberries ❓️❓️ probably not, but my insides are touching grass‼️‼️‼️

Click for more detail. Our ask is open!

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

Click for more detail. Our ask is open!

[Velwyrm: WIP time before I add the top layer of this wonderful critter, the outlines and the tubes of Marcille’s scuba gear. Answering some replies with traditional artwork to practice my pencil pieces 💖 Get excited for some very cool, endangered critters you’ve likely never seen/heard of before 🤩]

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

[Velwyrm: Hey folks. Due to a family tragedy I’m going to be posting less for a while. Poor timing on the blog’s part due to recent major life changes IRL, now with added grieving, but I will continue this AU and work on replies once things have settled down in their own time. Thank you again for your patience.]

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[Velwyrm: requests open while I work on replies!]

(Click for more detail)

In the process of drawing many traditionally-drawn & coloured replies for my DunMeshi BioSciences AU @ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists, but I’m in need of some warmup sketches.

I’ve spent the afternoon drawing up these pallets. Send me some palette names and characters from Naruto, DunMeshi, Fantasy High or The Wizard The Witch and The Wild One and I’ll draw some quick doodles to warm up & practice!

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

What roles does everyone on the team have?

Marcille: Here's the link for convenience!

We're all very excited to share with you all about what we do. Hopefully we'll have found enough data soon to cover the creature we'll be focusing on first. We will all be going into detail about this animal in the context of our respective fields.

Our askbox is open!

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[Velwyrm: Heya folks! I’m gonna be answering some asks today 💖 Feel free to send more in!]

[ask-the-dunmeshi-biologists]

Hi Mr. Chilchuck, I see you're on the ethics committee! What would you say is the weirdest or most "out there" research proposal you've heard in your time there?

Invertebrates are largely unprotected by Animal Welfare laws, which leads to some…interesting proposals.

[Chicken paper]

Our ask is open!