Online Art - Learn to Paint Wildlife and Animals
by Jason Morgan Professional Wildlife Artist - Over 8 Years online

This large painting will certainly need a plan if I am to do the subject justice. The pencil sketch left shows the important things I have in mind to make the eyes the center of interest.

The first stages are always the same no matter what the subject - get some paint on the whole canvas. I don't worry too much about the correct colours, but I do always paint in the direction of fur growth, even at this early stage.

As per my usual technique a very thin coat of Liquin painting medium was applied to the whole canvas before I began painting in to it whilst it was still wet - this allows the paint to slide more easily.

With the first coat blocked in and dry I know paint another thin coat of liquin over the fur area to be painted.

I then select one of my old bristle brushes (or age one yourself by rubbing the bristles along glass paper) and dip just the tip into thick oil paint (no liquin) in this instance I used white plus a little ultramarine blue and burnt umber.

With a very light touch and flowing strokes I then simulated the first (under-layer) of fur texture.