Pit Viper Deadly Art

My name's Steve Backshall. And this is Deadly Art.

I'm lucky enough to travel the world, tracking deadly animals.

In this show, my team of artists take my killer moment...

..and turn it into art.

And we'll reveal another unique creation.

Along the way, you'll get to pick up some tips, tricks

and techniques, so you can make some art yourself.

This is no ordinary art show,

This is Deadly Art.

Coming up on Deadly Art,

I get close to one of Costa Rica's most colourful reptiles.

That is a really beautiful animal.

The Deadly Artists recreate another killer moment.

I'll start with this lovely green colour.

And, we'll show you a doodle to impress your friends.

Snakes are some of my favourite animals,

and I spend an enormous amount of time working with them.

Boa constrictors, king cobras, reticulated pythons.

Probably the most colourful is this yellow fellow.

The eyelash pit viper.

This is truly one of the world's most beautiful snakes,

but extremely deadly.

The eyelash pit viper name comes from two qualities.

First, they have a heat-sensitive pit in the upper lip,

which helps them sense their prey.

Secondly, they have special scales above the eyes,

which protect them and look like eyelashes.

Time to meet our artists, ready for today's challenge.

I'm Jo. I'm a painter, and a general mess-maker.

I'm Nicola, and I'm the power-tool queen.

Nicola and Joe are representing the Deadly Art team,

who are always up for a challenge.

This is today's killer moment, to inspire our artists.

The viper's super-swift attack means the usually speedy hummingbird

simply has no chance.

Time for some more Deadly Art.

I love this photo. And what's so dynamic about it,

is the background is blurred, and the subject is sharp.

It gives the impression that viper's really launching out.

We'll create a huge photo-realist painting,

which mimics the stuff in the background is out of focus,

and the stuff in the foreground is in focus,

-like a photograph.

-Excellent.

To give it that extra three-dimensional depth,

-we'll make two paintings in one.

-Excellent.

It's going to be a big picture of that killer strike.

I'm going to be painting the snake in the background, striking out.

I will create the prey, in the foreground.

-Two paintings...

-In one.

This is Deadly Art, so it has to include the use of power tools.

Our artists are trained professionals,

so don't try anything you see in our Big Art stages.

Let's leave Nicola and Jo getting on with their viper art,

and head over to Costa Rica, where the Deadly 60 crew and I

got up close to a real pit viper.

Typical food for the eyelash pit viper would be something like

a small mouse, perhaps a bat.

They'll even catch hummingbirds on the wing.

The core body temperature of a bird, or small mammal,

is about 38 degrees.

What I've got here is a balloon, filled with hot water

that's almost exactly that temperature.

I'm going to move it in close to the viper, and hopefully

get it to strike towards the balloon. Let's see what happens.

HE LAUGHS

That was AMAZING!

Incredible. Absolutely incredible.

Saw the mouth open almost fully wide.

Almost so it was creating a stabbing shape,

rather than a downward strike.

The fangs are almost used like daggers,

to pierce into the balloon. That was amazing.

Totally deadly.

Let's see how Jo and Nicola are getting on.

To create an out-of-focus blur,

I'm going to use an airbrush.

Because this sprays the paint, it's all very soft,

with no sharp edges.

As we're in the jungle, I'll start with this lovely green colour.

The background will look so realistic.

Just like a photograph.

This hummingbird is going to sit on my frame

in the foreground of Jo's viper.

I've cut out all the sections of the frame, the foliage and the flower.

I WILL paint them, but first,

I need to secure them into position.

I can see how the outside frame will make the image stand out.

I'm actually pretty excited.

This viper artwork will represent this deadly snake brilliantly.

Jo's going to take a break now.

Got your pencil ready?

It's time for a Deadly Doodle.

This is a Deadly Doodle of an eyelash pit viper.

I'm going to show you how to draw it.

Starting with some simple shapes,

I'm going to draw a cup shape.

With a smaller cup inside.

Two circles, for its eyes.

Then, we can go onto his body.

Do an arc over the top of its head.

Then, another one, coming down and under.

Then, following that line, across here,

I'm going to take a road all the way off the page,

and another one, which will form its body.

Then, another line coming down here,

to show the rest of it.

Let's put in those deadly fangs.

Then the bottom fangs, as well.

Thos fantastic eyelashes will just be a zigzag line...

..over the top of each eye.

We'll draw another line, underneath its body.

All along the underside, and down that road.

Then, a little bit up the top, there.

Right, we're ready for the detail.

I'm going to use a black pen.

Using the top line as a guide,

I'll put in some gums first.

Then those sharp fangs.

And join the mouth up.

Now, onto those eyes.

Two slits, for its pupils.

Really reptilian.

The nostrils are two little circles,

with a line coming off the side of them.

Up over those amazing eyelashes,

down the side of the face.

Then over the top of the head.

Back up to the other eyelash.

Really make them stand out.

Just going over all of my guide lines.

Small lines, which will show the underside of the snake's body.

Complete it, all the way along.

Just a little bit of detail, inside his gaping mouth.

There we have it. The striking eyelash pit viper.

Is that deadly enough for you?

It started out as a paper cup shape.

And ended up as a pit viper.

So, how did some of you get on, drawing this doodle?

We went to Crawley, on a Deadly Day Out.

Here's all the action from the Deadly Art tent.

I'm definitely proud of my eyelash pit viper.

I was never into art, but my friend persuaded me,

and I'm really happy that I drew this.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Loads of perfect pit vipers.

Keep on doodling. Let's get back to the Deadly Art studio.

The snake is taking shape.

I've finished off the background.

I've put some brown in, for those out-of-focus branches.

Now for the fun part.

I'm doing the pattern on the scaly snake's body.

I'm using this to mask off the areas I don't want to spray.

Jo and Nicola haven't got long left.

While we wait to see the finished painting,

I think it's time for a DIY with Nicola.

How cool is that? You can make your own spiral, springy, striking viper

by taking a piece of square card,

and drawing on a big circle.

Spiral it into the centre,

and add on a tail at the end.

I've taped four pencils together, and, using those,

sweep straight across,

and back, in the other direction.

And then cut it out.

Be careful when you use scissors.

Then, using a crayon,

I'm going to shade in the top edge of the snake's back.

All the way along.

Excellent.

Now, we can make his head.

Take a new piece of card.

Draw on two egg shapes.

Join those together,

and add on some lines to create some flaps.

You'll fold these flaps later, to make the head.

The nose is a rocket shape,

with an extra flap at the bottom.

Again, some guide lines for the flaps.

When you've cut them out,

you'll have two shapes that look like this.

This one is going to form his jaw.

On the other side, I've also created those crosshatches.

Then, using these guide lines,

fold them in,

and do the same along these lines,

to create some flaps.

Already, you can see the mouth.

The nose is the same thing.

I've cut two slits, here and here.

The other lines just fold inwards.

The nose and the head will fit together.

Attach the nose to the head, using double-sided sticky tape.

The head is almost complete.

We now just need some eyes.

I've cut out two small sunshine shapes.

I've also added a slit, going down the centre.

And some double-sided sticky tape.

Pinch those together.

Then I've cut a poly ball in half. Coloured it yellow.

Stick those into the centre.

Fasten the eyes

to the head.

To make him look extra deadly,

I've cut out some fangs,

using some foam board.

A couple of big ones at the top.

And two slightly smaller ones on the bottom.

To bring those characteristic eyes to life,

I'm going to give him some pupils.

Using a hole punch,

give him two nostrils.

And, the magic part,

is when we attach some of this invisible fishing wire.

Thread a piece through the nose.

Bring back the body, and this centre circle, here,

folds over, like that, to create a bed for the head to sit in.

Fix that down,

and there you have your deadly viper

with a deadly strike.

Wow! What a strike!

Back to the Big Art.

Almost finished. Now for those fine details. Those deadly fangs.

I've only just finished.

I've just completed the final touches to this flower

where the hummingbird feeds.

Now it's time to put foreground to background.

That's it. They've finished.

This painting's so colourful and dramatic.

The airbrush gave that photographic in- and out-of-focus effect.

The two frames has given that killer moment a real 3D illusion.

It's quite striking!

So, it's nearly time for the big reveal.

I asked the Deadly Art team to recreate this killer moment,

and turn it into art. Let's look at the finished result.

Sensational!

The millisecond before a kill, frozen in time.

It's a mixture of urban graffiti and collage.

Dynamic. Modern. Magic!

The hummingbird's engrossed in its nectar meal,

and doesn't realise it's about to become lunch.

The jungle leaves frame this lethal moment.

Nice work, team. Art doesn't get any deadlier than this.

What an incredible creation!

Make sure you try the doodle, and the DIY.

We'll see you next time for more Deadly Art.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd