How to Paint Wrinkled Fur

Use a three colored method to create believable fur wrinkles.

Creating convincing animal hair and fur is simply a matter of representing the highlights and shadows, then adding the hair texture over it. The easiest way to achieve this is to work from an image of the animal. Choose a color that represents the bulk of the animal's fur and mix your highlight and shadow colors based on this base color. Light and direction is also important to show fur, since this will dictate where the shadows and highlights should exist. This technique works with any type of paint you choose.

Things You'll Need

• Paint
• Art brushes
• Photo example

Instructions

Mixing Colors

1. Select the main color of the animals fur have this color mixed in a large enough quantity to cover the animal in your painting twice.

2. Mix a small amount of white, light gray, or light yellow into a small quantity of your base color, depending on the color of your animal's fur. Mix it thoroughly for a consistent color of highlight.

3. Create your shadow color by mixing a small amount of black or dark brown into a small quantity of your base color. Mix it thoroughly.

Painting Fur

1. Use a medium, to wide art brush to coat the area of your animal that is covered with fur with your base color. Apply this base coat fairly heavily to allow it to blend with the highlights and shadows.

2. Dip a medium to small art brush in your shadow color and paint over the base color, following the valley of every wrinkle on your animal's fur. Blend the edges of your shadow color for a smooth effect.

3. Rinse the shadow brush and dip it into your highlight color. Apply highlights along the edge of each shadow on the side that the light hits the fur in your picture. Blend this highlight into the base color. Apply a thinner highlight along the other edge of the shadow.

4. Paint any markings onto your animal's coat that are a different shade than your base coat, using a three color, base, highlight and shadow method to continue any wrinkles that run through the markings.

5. Dip a fan brush, into both your highlight and shadow colors. Use short, sharp strokes to paint the fur on your animal with hair like lines. Follow the shape of your animal's fur, including the wrinkles as you work.

References

• "Drawing and Painting Animals"; Bill Tilton; 1997
• "Painting Animals"; Christophe Drochon; 2006