240 Portraits, figures, and animals | SUBJECTS
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
The interplay of cooler tones contrasting with the
warmer tones in this painting aims to thrust the hare
forward, emphasizing a sense of urgency and its
speed. Loose impressions of fur add vitality.
1
Initial sketch
Sketch the pose, noting
the angle and length of
the ears (the ears of a hare
are surprisingly long). The
setting of the ears dictates
the pitch of the head. Take
care to get the balance
right so that the shift of
weight on the downward
leg would convincingly
propel the hare forward.
Correct proportion is key.
Dening features and form
Experiment with the best techniques to use to
express the key features, such as eyes, ears, nose,
mouth or beak, and feathers or fur. Certain techniques
lend themselves perfectly to describe fur, where you
want to give the impression of both texture and density.
Layering techniques help build colors that not only
describe an animal’s pelt but also help suggest
the form of the body beneath.
Dry-in-wet
Single, brisk strokes or dabs
of dry paint into wet washes
produce very effective results
for fur, hair, or animal markings.
The drier the paint, the more it
will hold its form in the wet
layer, blurring just enough to
give credible effects of fur. Be
aware that if paint is not dry
enough it might cause runbacks.
Stretching out
Mix a loose wash and paint
it lightly over the dried layer.
With a slightly damp brush,
drag and “stretch” the wet paint
into the areas where you want
crisp shapes of tone, shadow, or
fur. Such “stretching out” allows
you to control the sharp edges.
No. 15 and no. 8
soft-hair round brushes
2 in (5 cm) hake brush
No. 3 synthetic-ber
rigger brush
14
1
/2 x 20
1
/4 in
(36 x 52 cm) cold press
140 lb (300 gsm)
watercolor paper
You will need
Hare sketches
Creatures
in motion
CAPTURING WILDLIFE CHARACTERISTICS
Careful observation is key to painting
animals since you need to capture their
essence in nature in just a few brushstrokes.
Understanding their anatomy is useful, too,
as proportion and balance are equally
important for an authentic portrayal.
Use rapid strokes and
loose wet-in-wet mixes to
reect the immediacy of a
moving subject.
Sharper edges add denition
Raw sienna
French
ultramarine
Raw umber
Indian yellow
Van Dyke
brown
Cadmium red
Dioxazine
violet
Alizarin
crimson
Burnt sienna
Phthalo green
(blue shade)
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241 Creatures in motion
2
Wet-in-wet variegated wash
Generously wet the paper, leaving some areas
dry as highlights. Drop in raw sienna, burnt sienna,
and raw umber, alternating the quantities and
strengths to establish the initial form and depth.
3
Darker tones
Once the initial glaze layer is dry, rewet areas to
establish stronger darker tones using a wet-in-wet
wash of Dioxazine violet and Van Dyke brown for
the darks, and warmer oranges for the highlights.
4
Dry-in-wet detail
Beginning with a wet-in-wet
wash, drop a mix of raw sienna
with a hint of Indian yellow into
the eye area, leaving a chink
unpainted for the highlight. Using
the dry-in-wet method (see left),
add the pupil with Van Dyke
brown and a touch of French
ultramarine to deepen the hue.
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242 Portraits, figures, and animals | SUBJECTS
5
Stretch out
When the second
glaze is dry, use the
purple mix to stretch
out and form the deeper
tone of the cheek below
the eye. Do the same for
the shadow inside the
ear and the top of the
head, using a cooler tone
of the phthalo green.
The sharp edges help
dene the anatomy.
6
Dry brush detail
With Van Dyke brown
and a dry brush, indicate
the nose, taking care not
to make it too strong nor
to drag attention away
from the eye.
7
Fur effects
Suggest the shape
of the body through
a combination of
stretching out and
dry-in-wet techniques
to create the effect
of fur and form. Use a
wet-on-dry glaze layer
on the body with thicker
paint in wetted areas to
suggest dense fur.
8
Dened details
With a rigger brush,
paint the whiskers with
dry Van Dyke brown in
one swift stroke per
whisker, to keep it
light and immediate.
“When working dry-in-
wet, test how dry the
paint is on your brush
before applying it
to the wet paint.
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243 Creatures in motion
Sharp edges resulted from
where the color was
stretched into dry areas
Splatters of the background
colors add a sense of
speed and urgency
9
Bringing it together
Finally, add a darker shadow wash
with the cooler combination of colors,
both to ground the hare and consolidate
the painting.
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Balanced composition
See pp.110–113
In this L-shaped composition,
the ying pufn in the top
left corner is about to land,
and leads the viewer’s eye
uidly across the foreground
to the last pufn on the right.
Wet-in-wet
See pp.52–55
Touches of phthalo turquoise
were allowed to merge
smoothly into the still-wet
black ink, creating a
colored sheen on the
dark wings.
Highlights
See pp.104–105
Jagged, crisp areas of
unpainted white paper
contrast starkly with the
painted areas, catching
the eye of the viewer
and creating drama.
Artist Julia Cassels
Title Pufns
Paper 20 x 28 in (50 x 70 cm) cold press
140 lb (300 gsm) watercolor paper
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