Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER
TWO
Bits & Pieces
In this chapter, we will study in detail the fur and feathers, body parts and
facial features that are characteristic of each animal in this topic. For an
animal drawing to be successful, it should create an emotional response in
the viewer. (When I was a greeting card artist, we called that the “aww”
factor.) Getting the facial features right, especially the eyes, is the key. Fur
texture is also important, especially for cuddly baby animals. You know
you've done a good job when the viewer wants to reach out and touch the
animal.
On the drawing of a fox kit at left, I used green pastels with a touch of
blue for the first layer of colors in the background, and burnt sienna pastel
for the first layer of color on the fox. For large areas like these, use a stick
of chalk pastel rather than a pastel pencil, and rub your applicating tool
across the surface to pick up pigment, just as you would a pastel pencil (see
the instructions on page 13).
Next, I added details. I used dark brown and black colored pencils for the
fox, and scratched out some white details like the eye highlights and a few
hairs with a craft knife. (Note how the placement of the eye highlights shows
that the fox's eyes are gazing intently on the butterfly.) For the grass and fo-
liage details, I used colored pencils in various dark greens, yellow ochre,
and burnt sienna. I used blue colored pencil for the flowers and butterflies,
ultramarine for the dark blues, and added more details to the butterflies with
dark brown and black. There are also slight touches of lavender in the blue
areas for liveliness and depth of color. The most delicate details, like
whiskers and antennae, were done with a sharp 4H pencil.
basic fur strokes
