Drawing Fur with Pencils
tips for getting that soft fuzzy texture
I knew when I saw a picture of this little White-footed mouse*, I had to draw him. He is just adorable with all that soft fuzzy fur. So how do you get that same look with pencils? These are my favorite ways:
start with a very sharp pencil
rotate the pencil in your hand after every stroke (this keeps the edge from flattening out too quickly)
move your wrist in a gentle arc so the line is not straight
follow the direction the fur grows (the direction can change from one part of the body to the next so look carefully)
keep the edges of the strokes, whether it's where you start or end the line, uneven (fur/hair/feather do not start in the same place)
use more than one color whenever possible; otherwise vary the pressure on the pencil so some lines are light and some are dark
if you are working with watercolor pencils, dissolve the color around your subject (e.g. the branch in my drawing) and keep the areas with fur dry to emphasize the difference in textures
I hope you try these tips the next time you draw something furry.
Until next time…Happy Painting!
Kelli ♥
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*Photo credit: Mike Budd/USFWS