Pronghorn Portrait

8.5x5.5 mixed media on paper done last week while in the mountains.  These animals are seen dashing across the flat grassland between Plains, TX and Tatum, NM.  I sketched with Uniball Vision Elite ink pen first, then added watercolor, followed by Montana acrylic markers.  Lastly black India ink was appled to a few select linear spots for emphasis. Scientific name of Antilocapra americana
translated is "American antelope goat" but the deer-like pronghorn is neither.  With its branched horns instead of antlers that it sheds (the only animal that does), it is the fastest, running in 20 foot bounds up to 60 miles per hour.  Unlike the cheetah, the pronghorn can run for hours and can spot predators up to 4 miles away with its keen eyesight.  Life expectancy is 9-10 years for this North American hoofed mammal.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.