BARNYARD ANIMALS

Perhaps you, like me, think of those on a farm when someone says the word “animals.” I think of movies with these barnyard animals talking to each other. The three animals in this section are typical of that nostalgia. We’ll paint a stoic cow, a trotting Yorkshire pig, and a colorful rooster. Their snouts are different, as are their eyes, feet, and ears—if seen at all!

BARNYARD ANIMALS HIGHLIGHTS

» VARIETY. A variety of forms, textures, and postures are shown.

» BLACK AND WHITE. We paint our cow with a color-rich black.

» FEATHERS. Though not a detailed approach, we’ll learn to re-create the look of feathers.

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Rooster

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Cow

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Pig

DRAWING

These animals have little in common. Notice their differing proportions and limb lengths, the obvious outsider being the big bird.

Draw the Rooster

1Sketch in the body of the rooster comprised of his neck, tummy, and back.

1

2Add a small beak and a large crown.

2

3The rooster’s face is outlined, and the small eye holds its expression with a single dot.

3

4Draw the rooster’s tail feathers by beginning at the top and allowing the feathers to droop downward halfway. Fill with a line behind to imply fullness.

4

5Mark the end of the top layer of feathers with a zigzag line along the neckline.

5

6Outline the middle section of feathers that are colored distinctively.

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7Draw the final section of body feathers that grow longer towards the end of his body.

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8Draw the wing with two sections, angling their scallops upward.

8

9Outline the rooster’s legs. A wide base attaches skinny bird legs to the body.

9

10 The finished rooster.

10

Draw the Cow

1Let’s begin with the head, outlining the snout as well.

1

2Top it off with the horns and ears.

2

3Refine the head shape by adding the mouth and bottom lip.

3

4Place a bit of hair, eyes, and nostrils on the face.

4

5Draw the cow’s large body and don’t forget the udders!

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6Sketch the front leg, larger at the top half.

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7Draw the front leg behind it, echoing the same shape.

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8Draw the cow’s hind legs. They’re skinny and bend back at the knees.

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9Draw the tail, skinny with a tuft of hair at the end.

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10 Shade in the spots of the cow.

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11 The finished cow.

11

Draw the Pig

1Draw the pig’s long body and face shape, allowing space for his ears and legs.

1

2Draw his wide and pointy ears.

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3Draw the pig’s forward-facing legs, being sure to add the pointy hoofs.

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4Add a tail and its two remaining legs.

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5Sketch the pig’s snout that curves into a smile.

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6Draw his two eyes.

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7The finished pig.

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PAINTING

As with the Long & Strong group (see here), this selection of animals has one that’s exclusively black and white: the Holstein-Friesian dairy cow. Conversely, the rooster is full of colors that shouldn’t bleed together. Allow time for each layer to dry before beginning the next step.

Paint the Rooster

Our rooster is decorated in jewel-tone feathers—a vibrant yet elegant look.

COLORS

imageMijello Mission: Yellow Ochre and Raw Umber

imageDr. Ph. Martin’s Radiant Concentrated Watercolors: 8A Turquoise Blue, 10A Violet, 18B Crimson

imageDr. Ph. Martin’s Pen-White

COLOR CLUSTERS

1Select a brush with a tip that is the width of a feather’s end. I’m using a size 8. Alternate two warm browns such as an ochre and a raw umber. If the wet washes touch, they blend, so we are painting these groups like puzzle pieces. Paint the chest to head, back, and tip of the wing. Painting the rooster’s feet and beak in a dull pink helps to allow our paint to dry before adding the cool-colored areas (A).

A

2Radiant Turquoise Blue and Violet cover the remaining areas. Don’t simply fill in the tail; instead, follow the lines of the feathers so these two colors take turns creating the collection of feather forms. This is the first layer, so go easy on applying color. Blues and violets can get dark fast (B).

B

LINES, LINES, LINES

1The rooster’s face, comb, and dangling wattle are carefully filled with red to complete all the base layers. Variations of red are used to define the yellow and brown feathers (C).

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C

2Simple lines that vary from short on the neck to long near the back help define the different sizes of feathers on his body (D).

D

3The blue feathers also receive some linework, but in long slender brushstrokes. The patch of blue on the chest and underside are shorter in appearance (E).

E

4A watered-down Raw Umber gives our rooster a tiny smile with a simple line along the center. Lines also serve as shading for his skinny legs. Place these lines along the bottom and only on one side of the leg. Finally, apply a few dabs of rich red within the base of the comb and on the wattle (F).

F
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WHITE MAGIC

Using each stroke of the brush to render the feel of the surface, paint on white as if in broken lines or as a pattern. This is to hint at the pattern of the feather’s hairs curving downward. Tiny dots highlight the bumpy pores of the wattle (G).

G
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Paint the Cow

This rectangular cow is full of interest thanks to a new and colorful twist on the traditional white and black. The high contrast of the humble cow is striking, making this an unexpected favorite.

COLORS

imageDr. Ph. Martin’s Radiant Concentrated Watercolors: 17B Tangerine, 8A Turquoise Blue, 1A Lemon Yellow

imageMijello Mission: Viridian

imageDr. Ph. Martin’s Pen-White

DREAMY WHITE

1When an animal has a few select parts that aren’t its overall color, I like to take care of those first. Here, it’s the cow’s fleshy pink parts. These are also light and can be addressed loosely: don’t feel like you need to “stay in the lines” (A).

A

2For the white body, I mix a touch of emerald green with blue and add a lot of water. This creates a wash color that shines through as shadows. Apply this liberally, but allow patches of the paper white to stay intact. Remember that shadows fall on the underside—under the head, under the body (including much of the legs), and along one side of the head that may not be receiving direct light (B).

B
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RICH BLACK

Create a rich black by combining all the colors used thus far. This color goes beyond a bland black and shows the colors it’s made of in certain parts. Frame the center area of the face with black patches. These spots are artistically used to show the head’s dimension. Place a small wash on the peach snout, showing how it curves downward. Paint lightly but apply a heavy dose to the area beside the head so it recedes visually. Continue placing spots on the cow, letting the brush create painterly edges rather than crisp ones (C).

C
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DEFINING BLACK & WHITE

Paint the black of the eyes. Create lines along the edges of the cow, using dark black and a watered-down black for white areas. Bring definition to the tuft of hair on its head and around the edges of the face and ears. Little lines along the eyes and at places around the body make our cow less pristine. Do the same with opaque white. Add a little white to the eyes, too (D).

D
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Paint the Pig

Painting this Yorkshire pig is a great study of values—utilizing the same color in varying intensities.

COLORS

imageDr. Ph. Martin’s Radiant Concentrated Watercolors: 17B Tangerine and 1A Lemon Yellow

imageMijello Mission: Sepia

imageDr. Ph. Martin’s Pen-White

SOFT PINK

Place your darkest pinks first: the ears, snout, and tail. As we paint quickly with a wet-on-wet application, these areas seamlessly blend into the body of the pig while remaining slightly darker. Fill the entire body with a watery wash of coral pink (A).

A

DARK PINK

Adding yellow to a full-bodied dose of the pink we’ve used gives us a richer color that’s slightly different. Use this color to place lines around the eyes using a small brush. Line the darker shadowed creases along the back of the legs and under the tail and body. Add a few bumps to suggest the pig’s teats. Define the pig’s hooves, inner ears, and a slight shadow under the head. Tiny dashes placed in crescent formations suggest a few bristly hairs on his fleshy skin. Dark brown finishes this step, filling in the eyes and nostrils (B).

B

FOUR STROKES

White isn’t entirely necessary, but a little note of cool white doesn’t hurt. One line along either right side of the ears and a dash under each nostril gives the sense of reflecting light (C).

C
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