Project 38: Raccoon Baby

This orphaned baby raccoon was taken in by a veterinary clinic in Lexington, Kentucky, where they care for wildlife in need. This baby was irresistible with his wide-eyed, intelligent, yet naïve expression. He definitely needed help, and I’m glad he was able to get it.

Reference Photo

1 Establish the Form

Draw the raccoon lightly in pencil, using a kneaded eraser for corrections or to lighten lines. Use diluted Burnt Umber and a no. 10 round to paint the main lines and the form.

2 Paint the Dark Values

Mix warm black with Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue. Paint the black parts of the raccoon with a no. 10 round, using parallel strokes that follow the hair growth pattern.

When painting the eyes, leave the highlighted parts unpainted. For good, dark coverage, paint more layers after the first layer has dried. Paint cracks in the tree bark with the same brush and color.

3 Paint the Middle Values

Mix warm gray for the tree trunk with Titanium White, Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue. Paint the trunk using vertical strokes with a no. 10 bright. Use a no. 10 round to paint around the raccoon’s outline.

Mix a buff color with Titanium White, Raw Sienna and a touch of Cadmium Orange. Paint the shaded areas of the mask and ears and the light tail rings with a no. 10 round.

Mix a blue shadow color with Titanium White, Ultramarine Blue and a small amount of Burnt Umber. Paint the lower muzzle, inside the ears and the nose highlight with a no. 10 round. Use a no. 3 round to paint the whites of the eyes using the same color.

4 Paint the Light Values

Mix a white fur color with Titanium White and a touch of Hansa Yellow Light. Paint the white parts of the face and ears with a no. 10 round. Use overlapping strokes that follow the fur pattern.

With warm black and a no. 10 round, paint the longer hairs along the back, head, belly and tail using slightly curving strokes. Paint shorter strokes at the edges where the white fur meets the black fur.

Reinforce the cracks in the tree bark and add detail to the warm gray areas using a no. 10 round with less paint while applying lighter pressure on the brush. Paint bark details with short vertical strokes. Add secondary cracks that are long, but thinner than the main cracks.

5 Add More Detail

Continue to paint detail in the tree bark with warm black. With a no. 3 round and the blue shadow color, paint fur detail inside the ears. With separate no. 3 rounds for warm black and the buff color, paint long hairs along the outline of the back, tail, belly and haunch. Paint light-pressured, slightly curved strokes, blending the buff colored hairs where needed with warm black.

Mix a dark buff color with a portion of the buff color and Raw Sienna. Using the same stroke with the longer hairs, paint shorter hairs on the body and at the edges of the facial mask, blending with the warm black. Re-establish the dark outline of the body with warm black and a no. 3 round with strokes that follow the fur pattern.

BRIGHT EYED AND CURIOUS

Acrylic on Gessobord

10” × 8” (25cm × 20cm)

6 Paint the Finishing Details

Continue to paint dark buff detail in the black areas of the coat. Use a separate no. 3 round with warm black to tone down and blend. Mix a dark blue shadow color by adding more Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber to a portion of the blue shadow color. Paint detail around the eyes and on the nose and paw.

Reinforce and brighten the tail rings with a no. 3 round and the dark buff color. Add highlights to the tree bark with the buff color and a no. 10 round.

Using separate no. 3 rounds, add more detail to the muzzle with the blue shadow and buff colors. Blend with the white fur color. Lightly paint the whiskers with the white fur color and a no. 3 round, toning them down with warm black as needed. Paint highlights on the toes with the dark blue shadow color and a no. 3 round, blending with warm black.

Mix a mossy green for the tree trunk with Burnt Umber, Hooker’s Green Permanent and Titanium White. Paint some moss on the bark with a no. 10 round, using the dry-brush technique.