Long before the dream of my first Africa safari got reality the black rhino belongs to my favorite species. I'm absolutely fascinated about these grey giant mammals. When painting the skin and furrows it's easy to get lost doing all these fine structures. But then it's a challenge and a lot of fun, too. The idea for this pencil drawing had emerged in my head and I've found the necessary reference material during a visit to a local zoo. I thought it would be nice to include an oxpecker in the scene to complete my idea and to keep the focus at the rhino face.