How To Paint Shaggy Fur On A Dog

Shaggy fur isn't as easy to draw or paint as it might seem.

It's more than simply scribbling a few lines on the page;

in order to make fur that looks realistic ...

... you have to be able
to see the overall shapes and then to pick out the few details that make the image pop to life.

Begin with a clear drawing that will give you a roadmap for your painting. If there are flyaway hairs in highlight, you'll need to preserve them with masking fluid before you begin, or scratch them out with a razor blade at the end.

Look for the large shadow shapes and paint them in with a light wash. Use a flat brush on the side and let the white paper show through in spots here and there.

Let that wash dry.

Wash in again with a second, darker version of the same wash, concentrating on the darkest shadow areas. To depict shaggy fur, you'll need to use a choppy, linear stroke with the edge of a flat brush. Don't use round brushes, as the hair will appear too finicky and fussed over.

When the second wash is nearly dry, soften the edges with a damp angled flat brush.

You can use the same brush to wipe out some individual white hairs in the body of the fur. Let some of these hairs cross over the others.

Remove the masking fluid and clean up the flyaway hairs by using a small round brush to paint the background color around the outer edges of the dog. Use the same brush to add detail to the face, such as hairs in the ear, pink in the nose and ears, and so on.

Step back from the work and see if there are any areas that look too busy. If so, brush a wash of shadow color over the top to simplify.

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Warm Regards

Chris Elmore
Drawing Made Easy