My Current work in progress for now I am just calling it a cougar in a tree.I thought that I would post some snap shots of my progress and give you a chance to see just how I do some of my drawing and the techniques that I use.I must apologize now for the quality of the photos. I currently only have an older model digital camera that only takes pictures at a very low resolution. I am sure you will still be able to see the progress and get an idea of some of my techniques though.
When I start an animal drawing or a portrait I start with the eyes then nose and then the mouth.Once I have these elements done I will finish off the head by adding the ears and shading the head in. Once the head is complete I now have an element where I can sketch in the rest of the body.
Once I have a rough sketch of the body I am now ready to do a rough-in of the body by applying some shading.Again I prefer to work from the front to the back or head to feet. At this time I am only working on the basic shape of the subject.
For this process I like to use willow charcoal because it is very easy to blend across the drawing.I will lay down a thick line of the willow charcoal to define the outline of my subject. Once I have the outline I add a few lighter lines to try and enhance the shape of the subject.
Once I have the charcoal on the drawing I will start blending to bring out the desired shape that I am looking for. I use a number of different items when blending but for the rough in I like to use a tightly folded paper towel.
I now have a rough draft of my drawing of a cougar standing on a tree branch. I can now make any needed corrections that I feel are need to adjust the pose
