How to Draw/Paint Fur that is Soft and Fluffy - Painting & Drawing Tips

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Reference pictures ready

Paints/pencils ready

Pet Portrait started . . . .

Feeling good!

Then . . . Finished . . .but not happy!

HANNAH - Commission

Is this what happens when you work on animals.  They are well drawn with good proportions but they just don't have that soft, bouncy look to their fur.  There is no life to their body.

This was my struggle as well.  I could render the shape with no problem but getting that fluffy fur was the challenge.  I studied pictures and  read books and worked on picture after picture before I found a solution.  Here are my discoveries.

How to Draw/Paint Soft, Fluffy Fur

1.  It's all about the Value

The old adage "Color gets all the credit, while value does all the work" is certainly true with fur.  

HANNAH - note the number of  different values in this small section 

Whether you are using colour or gray-scales you need lots of different values to give your fur depth.  In this small section of Hannah's ear note the range of values. And remember Hannah is not a black dog.  She is a light coloured dog.

Notice the range of values from White to Middle Grey.

Despite the fact that she is a light coloured dog there is a wide section of values from the White to Middle Grey area in her ear.  Notice too that because of the lighting on her there really isn't any "White".  Everything has some value.  I think in terms of 1 being White so there can be a 1.2 or a 1.5 or even a 1.9.  Each of these values has some grey tone but are still less than the Value 2.  When working on my fur I try and get as many different values as I can. 

2.  Edges are Always Important

As many of you have read in my earlier post, Edges tell Stories. (Read more here)  

SHERLOCK - Commission - Short hair and very sleek

SHERLOCK is a short hair dachshund.  Notice how the edges tell his story. When you look at Sherlock, you are thinking dog and fur.  When you see the smooth edge you know what that fur is like: short, and sleek.

HANNAH - Close up of her foot.  

This close up of Hannah shows how her Edges tell a different story.  The bits of fur flowing into the ground cover give a sense of fluffy, flowing fur.  Once again the viewer is seeing a dog and the edges support the expectation of long, flowing fur.  

LOOKING BACK - Watercolour, Matted 8 x 10 - $130

Looking Back shows how fluffy fur looks using colour.  Notice the number of values in the white part of Alvin's fur.  Only a small part is actually white.  The rest has some degree of value.  But also the Edges are doing their job as well.  They support the notion that this is a soft fluffy cat with medium length hair.

What are some of your secrets to get that hair fluffy?  Do you find it harder with light coloured animals verses dark ones?  

Special thanks to Donna and May for inspiriting this post.  

Next post, Painting Soft and Fluffy Birds and Animals Part 2.  

Opportunities Happening now: 

Drop-In & Draw Sessions: 
Tuesdays: Mar 6 & 20,   Mondays: April 2, 16 & 30- 10-12pm or 1-3pm
Expressions Art Gallery, 227 & Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge.  
Choose a morning or afternoon session. Bring your sketchbook or your project and come draw.  I will be happy to give you a few pointers as you work on a drawing.  $15 Pre-Register Required. Contact Wendy Here

Good Follow-Up Session to the Marketing Workshop: 

April 9 - Building Your Online Presence with Wendy Mould, AFCA 6-8pm. Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC. $20 nonmembers $15 members.

Looking for more Drawing Tips, check out these popular posts from the latest Drawing Series.  

How to Find Your Starting Point in a Drawing - here

4 Ways to Grow the Sketchbook Habit - here

Get Those Values Working for you - here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.
 You won't miss a single one if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

 Have a great artful day,
Wendy

Happy Chinese New Year - Painting & Drawing Tips

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Gong Zi Fa Cai - Happy Chinese New Year

This is the Year of the Yellow Earth Dog

ME, FETCH? - Max's Baby picture, he loves to play but still feels that chasing him is more fun than him fetching!!

This year's prediction is it will be a good year but an exhausting one.  The advice is to remove words like planning, postponing and ignoring from your vocabulary.  The Dog will accelerate things and at the same time bring pressure and stress in everyday life.  So it is not surprising there is a warning to pay attention to your health.  The advice, Eat healthy, Get active and Get rid of bad habits, seems like good advice to me.  I was very encouraged to see that 2018 will be a good  financial year, with the changing markets it is always nice to have a safe financial prediction.

The Year of the Dog is all about how dogs are man's good friend.  He understands the human spirit and obeys his master.  He is known for his loyalty and exuberance. Dogs are very close to my heart.  Drawing dogs is one of my main sources of Commission Work.  I must admit I love meeting all these dogs and I am probably the only one at the dog park that notices dog profiles!  I thought to celebrate the Year of the Dog I would introduce you to some of the dogs I have met through my drawings.

Of course I had to start off with Max, my dog.  He is going to be two in March and just getting into the teenage mode.  He is a great companion, Steve and I are really enjoying him.

ERIK - 11 x 14 Commission

I had to include Erik is this collection, his portrait was a such a fun one to do.  I loved his little look.  His happy little face kept me company all the time I worked on his drawing.

ARIA - 11 x 14 Commission

Aria, a rescue dog, is in a very happy home.  He is getting older now but still loves to play with his family. His portrait was a Special Christmas Surprise for the Family.

DENVER - 11 x 14 Commission

Denver's Portrait was a Surprise Birthday present.  His favourite walk, as you may have guessed,  is on the beach and of course a stick is not far off.

RED - 16 x 20 Commission

Red is a Rhodesian Ridgeback.  He had a bumpy start as a puppy, literally chewing everything in sight. But once he was older, he was an awesome dog.  I really loved to look at his beautiful lines and his drawing has always been one of my favourite.

ALI - 14 x 18 Commission

Ali is a sweet little Shetland Collie.  He came over for a photo shoot for his portrait.  I took lots of pictures but when I caught this shot, I knew I had a winner.

WALKING BUDDIES - Private Collection

No celebration of Dogs can be complete without my Walking Buddy.  This is Rusty, our old guy.  He was a wonderful companion for 19.5  years. I am grateful that I have such a wonderful portrait to remember him by. 

As an artist at some point you will be asked if you can paint or draw someone's pet. It is a privilege to be asked.  TheIR pet is such a special friend to them and you will be giving them something the whole family will treasure.  I am very thankful that so many people have entrusted me with creating their special memories.

Next Post: Make that Fur Soft and Fluffy - whether you paint or draw, getting soft and fluffy fur puts life in your animals. 

AWESOME OPPORTUNITY: 2 Day Workshop with Dene Croft, SFCA - Friday, Feb 23 & Saturday, Feb 24, South Langley.   2 SPOTS LEFT- $160 Contact me to Register.

1 -Day Marketing Workshop for Artist - Let's Get Your Art Out There! with Wendy Mould, AFCA      Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018 10-3pm $84(Tax Incd)

Great Art needs Good Marketing to Move it out the Door

During the day you learn Strategies that FOCUS your marketing, see effective ways to promote your work and find a path that is right for you.  It is a full day and the synergy generated from the experience will keep you on track for 2018. Turn your Art Making into a Business. Maximum 8 people so register early. 

I look forward to working with you.  

 REGISTER  Contact Wendy               Gift Certificates Available

Good Follow-Up Session to the Marketing Workshop: 

April 9 - Building Your Online Presence with Wendy Mould, AFCA 6-8pm. Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC. $20 nonmembers $15 members.


Looking for more Drawing Tips, check out these popular posts from the latest Drawing Series.  

How to Find Your Starting Point in a Drawing - here

4 Ways to Grow the Sketchbook Habit - here

Get Those Values Working for you - here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.
 You won't miss a single one if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

 Have a great artful day,
Wendy

3 Steps to Putting Magic in Your Art - Painting & Drawing Tips

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

"Abracadabra!"

Wait Stop!!

Uttering Magic Words is not the Answer.

Like any Magic Trick there is research, practice and preparation involved.  There is the need to keep the viewer's eye under control, seeing what YOU want it to see.  Sounds just like what you want to happen when someone looks at your Art, Right!

See Magic in Action

Along the Shoreline, Miracle Beach BC

Doesn't look like Magic but wait. . . Take another look at ALONG THE SHORELINE, MIRACLE BEACH, BC.   When you look at the picture, does your eye run smack to the tree, wonder down the trunk, along the shore over to the logs, up and back to the tree?  Do you see an interesting little tree, logs, underbrush, grasses, sand and more? 

All that information is there but not all of it is detailed and carefully rendered.  Most of the underbrush is 'implied'.  Just colourful shapes, a few sharp lines.  However, by setting the stage with my logs, and tree, the rest of the shapes have 'become the background/foreground'.  Magic! (See more about putting HOCUSPOCUS  in Your Work in last Post)

Step 1 in Making Your Own Magic
The first step in your Magic Trick is something you love to do, painting detail - setting your scene.  Giving your viewer a sense of place and time. 

Lovely summer day, on Vancouver Island looking over to the Coastal Mountains on the Mainland

In this case, the tree and the logs give the setting. Particularly the tree, it is the focus point.  For this example I did not include the water and distant mountains but they certainly could have been part of the picture. More valuable information as to the setting. 

Step 2 for Magic Making
For me this is the hardest part, painting shapes and patterns.  Searching for colours.  This little picture has few discernible 'things' in the foreground, thus forcing you to work only with blogs of colour.  This is the part too where you 'push' some colour.  Just painting 'green' wont cut it.  There are yellows, golds, blues and violets in the underbrush but there could be more if you want.  I like to take the challenge and add a bit of colour just to see where I can go with it.  Remember though, put that colour in 3 places so it will be part of the scenery, not an isolate.

. 

ALONG THE SHORELINE, MIRACLE BEACH, # 2

I painted the picture again, trying different colours in the foreground and experimenting with other shapes. My goal was to get lots of midtones, shapes that were in the picture, creating a nice flow.  

Close up of some of the detail from the picture

Looking at the close up you can't see the tree and logs, my Scene Setters, only my colourful shapes.  Really doesn't look like anything.  But wait . . Step 3 of the Magic Steps is coming.

Step 3 - TA DA!!
After filling in all my foreground with those midtones I could see a 'nice' foreground emerging but to give it life it needs some Darks.

ALONG THE SHORELINE, MIRACLE BEACH, #2

   To make my darks I used a pen.  (You know it is one of my favourite things) But you could also add those touches with your paints.  "Little Bits of Jewellery" one of my artist friends calls it.  Not tight rendered brushing, just giving the shapes some darks or shadow shapes. 

Close up with the darks added

Here is that same little cross section of foreground with some darks dropped in.  Note how the ink lines do not 'draw a leaf or branch' they suggest them.  Broken lines, half circles.  Here is a chance to let your painting talk to you.  Some of those shapes might suggest a rock, or log, add a little dark shadow to build on that.  Note those little squiggles in the sand at the lower bottom - they suggest so much.  Never underestimate the power of 'dot' or 'squiggle' when you are working. 

If you would like to Make Magic with this picture, drop me a line and I will be glad to send you a larger file of the shoreline reference.  I would also love to see how you bring it to life.  What colours you infused into it.

Next Week is Chinese New Year - The Year of the Dog - Come meet some of the Dogs I have met.

AWESOME OPPORTUNITY: 2 Day Workshop with Dene Croft, SFCA - Friday, Feb 23 & Saturday, Feb 24, South Langley.   2 SPOTS LEFT- $160 Contact me to Register.

1 -Day Marketing Workshop for Artist - Let's Get Your Art Out There! with Wendy Mould, AFCA      Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018 10-3pm $84(Tax Incd)

Great Art needs Good Marketing to Move it out the Door

During the day you learn Strategies that FOCUS your marketing, see effective ways to promote your work and find a path that is right for you.  It is a full day and the synergy generated from the experience will keep you on track for 2018. Turn your Art Making into a Business. Maximum 8 people so register early. 

I look forward to working with you.  

 REGISTER  Contact Wendy               Gift Certificates Available

Good Follow-Up Session to the Marketing Workshop: 

April 9 - Building Your Online Presence with Wendy Mould, 6-8pm. Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC. $20 nonmembers $15 members.


Looking for more Drawing Tips, check out these popular posts from the latest Drawing Series.  

How to Find Your Starting Point in a Drawing - here

4 Ways to Grow the Sketchbook Habit - here

Get Those Values Working for you - here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.
 You won't miss a single one if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

 Have a great artful day,
Wendy

Is there a bit of HOCUSPOCUS happening in YOUR Work? - Painting & Drawing Tips

NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY

Do you think of yourself as a Magician?

Are you Making Magic when you paint or draw?

CAUGHT IN THE LIGHT - $500 - 12 x 16, Matted to 16 x 20 inches

Many artists, like myself, like to sit and paint or draw. I have a lovely drawing table made by my husband many years ago.  It adjusts easily for different angles and heights.  It works great.

 My favourite thing is to work at my table: Max sleeping/playing beside me, little music going, sun shining in the window, drawing or painting.  Close, detailed, realistic kind of work. This works wonderful when I am working on a bird, a leaf, a flower.  The main subjects of my picture.  But when it comes to the foreground/background, it just doesn't work.

Backgrounds are this huge area to be filled.  They are not the subject so shouldn't be sharply focused, the eye should slide over them and head for the important stuff.  But don't you find the detailed stuff is your favourite part.  The loose, ambiguous stuff not so much fun. 

The Struggle Point . . 
There is no place in the background for your beloved detailed focused work.  This is Magic Land.  Everything is an Illusion.  Little lines, shadows, darks, lights are all engineered to 'suggest something' rather than 'be something'. Do you struggle here?  I do. I know I need to let go, get loose.  Hard for me to do. Learning to Wave my Wand is my Goal.

Waving Your Wand . . 
CAUGHT IN THE LIGHT is full of conjuring tricks. One night we were driving on a country road and a barn owl swooped down and was caught in the headlights.  It was a breathtaking moment - this big beautiful bird right in front of me.  It totally inspired me.  What if you were out walking in the evening and you suddenly picked out an owl in the light.  Wouldn't that be an amazing thing to see.  That's what I wanted to do with this picture. So what is the trick in that, you ask?

The Illusion . . 

Bushes in the half light - Caught in the Light detail #1

Take another look at the picture.  Yes, the Barn Owl is detailed and realistic but those background pieces - Illusions.  Note the detail #1 above: If you cover up those leaves in the right hand corner, the background is just patterns and shapes. 

Leaves and Branches in the Dark - Caught in the Light detail #2

See Detail #2: When you isolate these blobs they really don't look like anything.  But in context they are one of my favourite parts of this picture.

How does the magic work?

I am continually studying this phenomena.  It happens in different ways and is handled by Realists and Abstract  artists in many different ways: using colour, patterns, and shapes they lead our eye around and make you believe you see a rock, a leaf, a branch.  Often you pause and try to see more. This too is part of the illusion.  (BTW I used salt to make some of those unusual shapes in this picture.  You can see more on that here)

Is this your struggle too?  Are your backgrounds too detailed?  Have you found ways to move forward?

Next Post: 3 Steps to Put Magic in Your Art

AWESOME OPPORTUNITY: 2 Day Workshop with Dene Croft, SFCA - Friday, Feb 23 & Saturday, Feb 24, South Langley.   3 spots left - $160 Contact me to Register.

1 -Day Marketing Workshop for Artist - Let's Get Your Art Out There! with Wendy Mould, AFCA      Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018 10-3pm $84(Tax Incd)

Great Art needs Good Marketing to Move it out the Door

During the day you learn what the main focus of your marketing materials should be, see  effective ways to promote your work and find a path that is right for you.  It is a full day and the synergy generated from the experience will keep you on track for 2018. Turn your Art Making into a Business. Maximum 8 people so register early. 

I look forward to working with you.  

 REGISTER  Contact Wendy               Gift Certificates Available

Good Follow-Up Session to the Marketing Workshop: 

April 9 - Building Your Online Presence 6-8pm. Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC. $20 nonmembers $15 members.


Looking for more Drawing Tips, check out these popular posts from the latest Drawing Series.  

How to Find Your Starting Point in a Drawing - here

4 Ways to Grow the Sketchbook Habit - here

Get Those Values Working for you - here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.
 You won't miss a single one if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

 Have a great artful day,
Wendy