Project 25: Pig

While I was driving along the back roads of Jessamine County, Kentucky, I stopped when I caught sight of this pig. She shared a field with a white goat. I was struck by her happy and contented expression, and I just had to sketch and photograph her for future reference.

Reference Photo

1 Establish the Form and the Dark Values

With a no. 3 round and Burnt Umber thinned with water, paint the main lines and form of the pig.

Mix a dark brown with Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue for the dark-valued areas. Paint with a no. 5 round.

2 Paint the Middle Values

Mix a golden brown middle value for the pig’s coat with Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber and a small amount of Titanium White. Paint with a no. 5 round.

3 Paint the Lighter Values

Mix the pig’s basic color with Titanium White, Raw Sienna, Cadmium Orange and Yellow Oxide. Paint with a no. 10 shader for the broad areas, using dabbing strokes. Switch to a no. 7 round for the smaller areas. Blend into the edges where it meets the neighboring color with small strokes.

Mix a pink for the pig’s udder with Titanium White, Scarlet Red, Cadmium Orange and a small amount of Raw Sienna. Paint with a no. 7 round.

For the ears and snout, mix a warm gray with Titanium White, Burnt Umber and small amounts of Ultramarine Blue and Raw Sienna. Paint with a no. 3 round.

4 Add Detail to the Pig

Add detail to the lighter parts of the coat with the golden brown from Step 2. Use a no. 3 round, painting small parallel strokes that follow the hair pattern. For lighter value detail, use a little more water and a lighter pressure on your brush.

To mix a dark gray for detail on the snout and ears, combine some of the dark brown from Step 1 with Titanium White. Use a separate no. 3 round with the warm gray from Step 3 to blend where the two colors meet. Reinforce the dark parts of the ears and snout with a no. 3 round and the dark brown. For lighter details over the broad dark areas of the pig’s coat, take a portion of the basic color from Step 3 and mix in small amounts of Yellow Oxide and Cadmium Orange. Paint with small strokes. Add some lighter colored hairs to the tail with flowing strokes.

HAPPY PIG

Acrylic on Gessobord

8” × 10” (20cm × 25cm)

5 Refine the Pig’s Coat

Warm and soften the pig’s coat by painting a glaze of the golden brown mixture and water over the entire body with a no. 7 round. Mix a highlight color for the pig with Titanium White and a small amount of Yellow Oxide. Use a no. 1 round to paint a smooth line around the pig’s outline, then blend inward with small strokes.