Drawing for Charity: Draw for Wild Cats

Art for charity: to raise awareness for conversations programs committed to the conservation of wild cats, such as tigers, lions and leopards, travel and lifestyle platform The Bite-Sized Backpacker started the #dtiys campaign ‘Draw for Wild Cats’.

With the campaign, the team behind the (travel) platform hopes to inspire (digital artists) to utilize their drawing skills to create a portrait of the website’s mascot, backpacking stuffed animal Fluffy, also known as ‘The Bite-Sized Backpacker’. The campaign thus takes the form of a ‘DTIYS’. Within the artist community, ‘DTIYS’ stands for ‘draw this in your style’. ‘Draw for Wild Cats’ invites artists from all countries to draw their own interpretation of Fluffy.

Draw for Wild Cats - Saeki Kensuke
Draw for Wild Cats Slider
Illustrations created for ‘Draw For Wild Cats’ (Credit: The Bite-Sized Backpacker)

Who is ‘The Bite-Sized Backpacker’?

Fluffy, a small leopard plushie, takes center stage on the travel platform. The stuffed animal has been traveling around the world step by step, visiting anything from grandeur national parks and cultural heritage sights to small villages and towns. The little nomadic plushie, nicknamed ‘The Bite-Sized Backpacker’ has visited more than 400 destinations in nearly 50 countries.

Fluffy’s adventures began in 2010, when he embarked on a EuroTrip visiting 11 countries. From mountaineering in Norway and taming dragons in Slovenia, to taking care of elephants in Thailand and exploring the Australian Outback; Fluffy has seen more of the world than most people!

How does it work?

Joining the campaign is simple: draw our own interpretation of Fluffy, ‘The Bite-Sized Backpacker’. For inspiration, you can visit Fluffy’s Instagram profile or the Instagram page of Draw for Wild Cats. Send your contribution to info@thebitesizedbackpacker.com (minimum dimensions: 1500×1500 px) for us to be able to share your art with the world, and share your drawing via Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms!


Famous artists and illustrators

The Draw for Wild Cats campaign has already attracted the attention of artists from more than 20 countries. Several well-known artists also participated in the project, including Kippy Dage, Tauhid Bondia, Gabriela Hernandes and Saeki Kensuke.

Kippy Sage, United States

Illustrator Kippy Sage inspired Fluffy to embark on a new journey. Sage is one of the talented artists who studied at the Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) in Sarasota, Florida.

Draw For Wild Cats - Kippy Sage
(Credit: Kippy Sage / The Bite-Sized Backpacker)

Gabriela Hernandes, Brazil

Gabriela Hernandes is both a fashion designer and a digital illustrator. Her portrait of Fluffy made us dream about new journeys in faraway countries… Hernandes, originally from Brazil, currently lives in Canada.

Draw For Wild Cats - Gabriela Hernandes
(Credit: Gabriela Hernandes / The Bite-Sized Backpacker)

Tauhid Bondia, United States

Webcartoonist and illustrator Tauhid Bondia became worldfamous for his popular webcomic Crabgrass, a comic strip about two kids friends growing up in the early 1980s. Bondia drew Fluffy and his mini backpack in his own authentic style.

Draw for Wild Cats - Tauhid Bondia
(Credit: Tauhid Bondia / The Bite-Sized Backpacker)

Saeki Kensuke, Japan

Saeki Kensuke’s Draw for Wild Cats design betrays the Japanese artist’s craft: Kensuke is a popular manga artist, and put pen to paper to create a special anime portrait of Fluffy.

Draw for Wild Cats - Saeki Kensuke
(Credit: Saeki Kensuke / The Bite-Sized Backpacker)