Step 5- The Finishing Touchesįor the finer details I used a size 2 round brush to add some slightly brighter highlights around the eye and muzzle areas. Particularly on the paw there were also some slight sun-bleaching of the fur, which I have picked out using some browns and purples. I picked up on the slightly blue hint to some of the shadowed areas by adding a small amount of cerulean and ultramarine blue to the grey that I have mixed. To add some dimension to the black fur I added some grey highlights using a combination of titanium white and ivory black. They are still there though- you just might have to look a bit closer. The thick and coarse fur of a panda will absorb much more light than smooth fur, so the reflected colours will be quite subtle. The smoother the fur the more colours will be reflected by the light and vice versa. One of the main things to keep in mind when painting black fur is the texture. It helps to have a soft bristled brush for this job if you want a very even blend to your background, as harder bristles will leave too many brushstrokes. The beauty of oils is the longer drying time in comparison to the acrylics, so once I have blocked in all of the background colours I then start blending them together.įor the blend I used a clean and dry flat brush and basically swirled the edges of each colour to blend them together.

When I start with the oils I just begin by applying the colours very loosely and without blending. If you want a background that complements the colours in your main subject it can be a good idea to pick out some of the more subtle colours you can find there.įor this painting I have chosen to combine some of the greens and of the bamboo with the blues and greys that can be found in the black fur.

I decided I wanted a blurred background in this painting to keep the main focus on the panda. I like to work in quite thin layers, so having an acrylic block in underneath helps me to put down quite a thin layer of oils without it appearing translucent and showing the white canvas underneath. This helps me to figure out where to position the main colours and it also speeds up the process.

Step 1 – The Block-inīefore I start with the oils, I did a quick block in with acrylics to build a base layer. But, I always make sure to keep the window in my studio open whenever I am using oil paints. I have found that personally I am quite sensitive to the oil paints and oil mediums, but I have found that the low-odor solvent from Windsor and Newton doesn’t give me headaches. Remember if you are using oil paints it is best to do so in a well-ventilated space. Add some blue/grey highlights to the black furįor this painting I am using Daler Rowney Georgian oil paints and Winsdor and Newton Sansodor low odor solvent.Create an under-painting in oils to add the simple shapes of the fur.Paint a background that compliments the colours in your panda.I’m usually an acrylic painter but I’m really enjoying seeing what I can create using a new medium! Those who have seen me paint in acrylics before have said that I use them in a very similar same way that you would use oils, so my process is pretty much the same. For this piece I am using oils- I am still fairly new to this medium, this is only the third oil painting I have worked on. In this blog I’m going to be sharing some of my tips when painting a panda or any animal with black and white fur.

Panda reflection painting