Challenge > Camouflage a Creature Challenge Winners

Challenge #13: Camouflage a Creature
JANUARY 2021 • CHALLENGE CLOSED

What a sight! We are so impressed with everyone’s artwork.

Adriana Aquino is holding a fish specimen in the lab.

Scientist Adriana Aquino is our special guest judge for this OLogy Challenge.

Adriana is a zoologist who specializes in ichthyology, the study of fishes. She also teaches educators about the natural world and how science works.

Hall of Fame Gallery

This Challenge was to use these instructions as an inspiration to create an artwork of a camouflaged creature and its environment. Here are our judge's top picks!

Ren D.

Age 9
New York, U.S.A.
"The Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus Eques) Welcome to the marine exhibit OLogy! We will be looking at a sea animal today, the leafy sea dragon. Don’t be afraid, it’s not a real dragon. But it has one thing that is very special to them, and that is their camouflage."
Download this PDF to learn more about the leafy sea dragon!

Judge's Comments:
I’m very impressed by the effort put on this work! The 3-D composition is very effective in suggesting the camouflage with the algae. Appropriately supported by the scientific brief description.
Anjha A.

Age 7
New York, U.S.A.
"Amazing Walking Stick Insect Camouflage"
Judge's Comments:
I love the combination of 3-D and 2-D style of the collage. It looks like the walking stick is leaving the page! A very realistic and scientifically accurate model. The narrative and content of the information provided is very good.
Kevin Z.

Age 10
New York, U.S.A.
"Pygmy Seahorse Camouflage"
Judge's Comments:
I like very much how the camouflage of the pigmy seahorse in the coral is manifested in the similarity in texture and color. The cartoon-like bubbles give the work a sense of movement, of life!
Sebastian F.

Age 10
California, U.S.A.
"The Hunt: Arctic fox have the ability to camouflage themselves in the snow when they hunt."
Judge's Comments:
Beautiful drawing of the Arctic fox camouflaged in its surrounding! The design is scientifically accurate. I love how the outline is edged with a yellowish ribbon.
Carolina F.

Age 8
New York, U.S.A.
"This is a stick bug that I did with real sticks! These bugs eat leaves and live mostly in tropical areas. Their camouflage protects them from other insects and birds. They also camouflage their eggs as “nuts” so the ants care for them underground. I wonder how they do that!"
Judge's Comments:
I’m very impressed by the realism and scientific accuracy of the design! The whole composition is very effective in demonstrating the effect of the camouflage.
Kumru K.

Age 10
Istanbul, Turkey
"A cheetah hidden in the dried grass."
Judge's Comments:
Beautiful drawing and use of color! The continuity of the bright yellow color across animal and background is very effective. The rendering of the cheetah’s face is scientifically accurate. The composition is simple, suggesting the partial view of the animal in the savanna.
Eden H.

Age 6
New York, U.S.A.
"This stingray is hiding from the bull shark using camouflage. The bull shark is turning away."
Judge's Comments:
The drawing and colors are very effective in illustrating camouflage. The stingray is almost invisible! The contrast between the color of the stingray blending with the background and the darker shark makes the example even more effective.
Cielo W.

Age 10
New York, U.S.A.
"This is a drawing of a sloth. This sloth is hanging from a tree moving slowly from branch to branch trying not to be seen by predators."
Judge's Comments:
Beautiful drawing! It captures the nature of the camouflage very well. I like the coloration of the sloth: it’s scientifically accurate in showing some green hues representing the algae growing on the fur.
Gabriella F.

Age 6
New York, U.S.A.
"This is a praying mantis pretending to be a leaf. Their camouflage helps them be safe from their enemies, like wasps and spiders, but mostly to trick other bugs or little animals, like mice and birds, that become their meal. Mantises eat whatever comes."
Judge's Comments:
I’m very impressed not only by the model of the insect but also by the whole composition of the insect on the plant. I like how the praying mantis is watching us. Very good example of camouflage!
Olivia G.

Age 9
New York, U.S.A.
"Yellow pygmy seahorses blend in to coral by wrapping around the coral to hide from predators."
Judge's Comments:
Beautiful rendering of the camouflage of the yellow pigmy seahorse! I love the effect of the similarity not only in color but also in texture. Very good the coral branching pattern.
Luke N.

Age 12
California, U.S.A.
"An orca swimming through the water. Prey from below can't see the orca from above because the light underside blends with the sky. Killer whales can't be seen from above because it camouflages with the lower layers of water."
Judge's Comments:
Beautiful composition of an orca! The simplicity is balanced with the accuracy and sense of movement of the drawing. The range of grey across the work, the suggested light coming from outside water, all these contribute to convey how the orca blends with its aquatic habitat.
Federico M.

Age 7
New York, U.S.A.
"Mimic Octopus: Camouflage and Shapeshift"
Judge's Comments:
This is an excellent example of camouflage. Very good choice! I like the 3-D effect produced by the contrast between the octopus and the water around.

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Honorable Mention Gallery

Here are more camouflaged creatures that inspired us!

Josie

Age 7
"In my picture, a mimic octopus is mimicing a lionfish. It is trying to escape a shark. They are passing a coral reef."
Judge's Comments:
Beautiful collage featuring octopuses’ marvelous ability to mimic their surroundings. By mimicing a lionfish, the octopus is advertising itself as a dangerous poisonous predator. This makes the shark think twice before attacking! The detail of the sea floor is very effective in creating a 3-D effect in the composition.
Harley L.

Age 9
Arizona, U.S.A.
"Leopard in the Grass"
Judge's Comments:
Great use of color for stressing the way leopards camouflage! The composition is simple but very effective. The contrasting of an abstract background with the distinctive partial figure of the leopard suggests the entirely blended lower part of the body.
Jasper

Age 6
Maryland, U.S.A.
"Walking Stick"
Judge's Comments:
Great use of vibrant color to convey the camouflage of the walking stick! Beautiful rendering of the insect, showing the delicacy of the segmented legs and body.
Marian Y.

Age 8
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
"The Tree Owl"
Judge's Comments:
I love how effective the simplicity of this drawing conveys camouflage! The owl is represented by a beautiful outline drawing and blended with the background.
Cameron H.

Age 5
California, U.S.A.
"I drew a frogmouth because it can camouflage. The frogmouth camouflages because it's brown so it can blend in with trees."
Judge's Comments:
Where is the frogmouth? It’s so well camouflaged! Very good selection of design and colors to illustrate this amazing species.
Xinyan J.

Judge's Comments:
Beautiful drawing of a soil invertebrate! I’m very impressed by the rendering of how the organs can be observed through the transparent body wall.
Hayden P.

Judge's Comments:
The coloring of the fish is very effective in suggesting how it might blend with the background!
Madelaine G.

Age 7
New York, U.S.A.
"The sea star blends in with its sandy or coral reef environment to avoid predators."
Judge's Comments:
I love the design with the star blending in color with the background! The difference is texture is slight but effective to convey the presence of the sea star.
Zayn H.

Age 7
New York, U.S.A.
"South African Meerkat Camouflaged"
Judge's Comments:
Beautiful drawing of the camouflaged meerkat. The continuity of the bright yellow color across animal and background make the composition very effective. I’m impressed by the rendering of the animal figure. Just right!
Tai V.

Age 10
New York, U.S.A.
"Stick Bug Camouflaged"
Judge's Comments:
Beautiful rendering of the amazing camouflage of the walking stick! I really like how the camouflage manifests at the structural level rather that color.
Niky W.

Age 5
California, U.S.A.
"I drew a snow leopard because I like leopards. I like them because they camouflage so good with their spots. I made these rocks with spots on them because the leopard has spots and it camouflages. Animals camouflage so they won't be food."
Judge's Comments:
I love how the design is so effective in suggesting the protected hiding leopard against the contrasting dark background! I like how the figure of the leopard seems to be sharing with the viewer its camouflaged position.
Irene Y.

Age 11
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
"Camouflage Chameleon"
Judge's Comments:
I love the simplicity of the design showing an outline drawing of the chameleon completely blended with the background. Very effective for conveying camouflage!