Animal illustrations of Michelle Annette Leveille
Michelle Annette Leveille attended the University of California at Davis, home of the renowned School of Veterinary Medicine. Her studies focused on Avian Sciences. Unfortunately, she suffered an accident which left her temporarily unable to communicate through the language of words. However, she was able to communicate the knowledge that she had learned through the use of artwork. So her professors hired her to illustrate their books. Dr. Pran Vohra contracted Michelle first for a book he co-authored on international poultry husbandry practices. She graduated with an Individual Major: a Bachelors Degree of Arts and Science in Anatomical Illustration, in 1991.
Chimpanzee skull drawn for 1990 class assignment which later became the logo of Michelle’s business, Artifact Graphics.
The Royal Geographical Society, (the original United Kingdom version of our National Geographic,) contacted Michelle to illustrate a guidebook for explorers on the proper use of pack animals around the world. Her work was covered by a radio reporter, Eve Iverson, for the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).
Reindeer skeletal structure by Michelle Annette Leveille. Michelle’s research into the use of pack animals required that she learn how to ride them properly.
Michelle started freelancing for the Los Angeles Zoo in 1993, and continued until the retirement of Curator of Graphics Neal Ward in 2020. Her work can be seen on the animal identification and behavior signs throughout the park. (More about Michelle’s zoo work can be seen in her blog post, “What I Do At The Zoo”.)
African crowned crane subspecies, ink-and-watercolor illustration by Michelle Annette Leveille for the Los Angeles Zoo.
Michelle’s animal artwork was featured in the first issue of Creative Nonfiction magazine to feature illustrations.
A sleepy-eyed, bow-legged, pot-bellied Laotian rock rat illustration by Michelle Annette Leveille for Creative Nonfiction magazine issue #40.
Her editorial artwork has also graced the pages of PittMed magazine and other publications.
Mating cabbage moths on curly leaf cabbage by Michelle Annette Leveille for PittMed magazine
Michelle Annette Leveille creates artwork in a wide variety of styles, from hand-drawn technical illustrations…
Pen-and-ink animal portraits by Michelle Annette Leveille.
More bat species identification portraits can be seen here.
…to vintage-style ink and watercolor drawings…
Vintage-style ink and watercolor illustrations by Michelle Annette Leveille for the Los Angeles Zoo. More vintage-style artwork can be seen in our blog post here.
…and hand-painted artwork…
Hand-painted artwork by Michelle Annette Leveille, mostly for the Los Angeles Zoo. For more emu artwork, click here.
…to digital illustrations.
Digital artwork drawn in Photoshop by Michelle Annette Leveille. For more turtle artwork, click here.
Digital vector illustrations created in Illustrator by Michelle Annette Leveille. For more zoo animal illustrations, click here.
Sometimes it’s fun to be a bit less scientific and more whimsical. Here are some of Michelle’s more editorial-style illustrations.
