Fur Tutorial

Fur Tutorial:

We are going to talk about how to draw fur in graphite pencil. Probably the best way to start when dealing with fur or hair in art. Going into color brings in all other aspects of color combinations. But I want you to get the ground work done first, on getting to know how to draw fur on your animals.

As  you know, with the wolf we are dealing with long hair. Would I say it is easier to draw than short fur?   Not really; each has its different techniques. And in each technique, you are trying to achieve a specific look. And also with short hair, comes in the extras like sheen and gloss.

I have selected a photo of a couple of wolves below. Have a look how I have sketched in directional lines for you to follow. Looks confusing doesn't it. Follow the different lines and distinguish their directions to the shape of the wolves. Now this rule doesn't stay fixed. In fact every time the wolf moves, the fur will also change. What you need to firstly get in mind is the major channels of the different directions that the fur follows.

When you start off, you will need to have a rough drawing of your wolf, then sketch in the major directions of that the fur follows. Don't go straight into trying to draw in the fur around its eyes and so forth. Because with the smaller areas and crevices that you need to deal with. The fur starts to become smoother, and more condense.  It is best to get your basic fur drawn in first in this fur tutorial, before you move onto the more difficult areas.

Practice your strokes on a piece of paper again and again. Till you find that your lines are becoming more fluent and following a natural line. This will also help you when drawing in backgrounds like grass etc.... You can see by this diagram that there are a few different ways of tackling fur. These diagrams for this fur tutorial are more a guide for you in direction. And how different directions and strokes of the pencil, create clumped up thicker, and also fine fur. Again, it just takes practice. Use your pressure on your pencil to bringing out the tone from dark to light.

When finishing off a stroke, begin to lift your pencil off the paper so that it gives a finish to the end of the fur. Too harsh and thick, you loose the natural look. In nature there are no straight lines. This is a man made invention. So the same goes with all art, be fluent and your work will blend with itself.

I have put the picture of the howling wolf on this a page again, as I think it is a good example of seeing how the directions of fur connect overall and how the use of the white paper is used to portray the lighter areas in this fur tutorial.

There are different degrees of how much detail you can put in your subject. Having a look at this drawing, you can see that the use of white paper has taken up many areas of the wolfs body. The use of a bit of smudging to soften some of the fur.

These are the choices you need to work with and find out what is best for you.

Remember what I said about finding your point of where the light is coming from in a drawing? Can you see it in this drawing?... You might be a little confused with this sketch; reason being that if you choose to work with snow. Snow reflects the light upwards, so the pointing of light will also be reflected up from the ground. This is why you are getting a few different directions of light reflected on the wolf.

'To draw does not simply mean to reproduce contours; the drawing does
not simply consist in the idea: the drawing is even the expression, the
interior form, the plan, the model. Look what remains after that! The
drawing is three fourths and a half of what constitutes painting. If I had
to put a sign over my door [to the atelier], I would write: School of
drawing, and I’m certain that I would create painters.' - Ingres

An important rule to remember when thinking about your subject and how you will be challenged in different ways according to nature and reflection.

 Be observant, and if you find out that some rules of nature are a bit marred, you need to find out why. Observation will be your great friend, and you will find that like anything else, you will develop better observation skills with training.

Use different pencils for different textures and experiment, this is the only way you are going to learn how to handle your tools of the trade. "And that's what they are". Your pencils are going to teach you how to gain more feeling in your hands and also steady them.

One more thing before you tackle this fur tutorial lesson, remember light and shade, the higher points of the wolf will be the light and the lower points will be the shade. Always work with this rule in mind.

Lets return from Fur Tutorial to How to Draw Wolves