Learn how to draw fur & hair on animals

Learn how to draw fur & hair on animals
I was helping a friend complete a picture which we did together. I think it would be a good idea to share this with you.



1) Use different tones of browns & blacks with varying opacity and large brush thickness to complete the background.
Draw a rough black outline of your animal.(20 thickness & 100% opacity )
2) Fill in the white (light) areas (20 thickness & 30% opacity)
3) With multiple strokes add the brown highlight layers (12 thickness & 20% opacity)
4) Draw a black outline around eyes and for the nose and mouth.(6 thickness & 100% opacity)
5) Add light brown highlights (1 thickness 60% opacity)
6) Add white highlights (1 thickness 40% opacity)
* for steps 5 and 6 make your strokes along the direction of the fur.
7 & 8) Draw in the eyes with multiple strokes of orange, black and white. (around 6 thickness & 20 opacity)
Add red highlights in some areas (around 20 thickness & 10% opacity)
Similarly blend in areas with multiple black and white strokes (around 20 thickness & 10% opacity)

NOTE: You must be familiar with using the graffiti board, adjusting thickness & opacity and picking colours. You do not need a tablet to achieve the fine strokes you could use slightly thicker brush sizes (2 or 3) and make the fine strokes with a mouse or touch pad as well.



Another example... shading tigers, birds using the same steps


Click here for more tutors/ list of all tutors from me.

thank you Mark for this... i am sure there are a lot of people that will love this tutorial, as I do...

Added this to my favorites...quite helpful.

omg mark! tytytyt so much! cant wait to try this technique!

What an awesome idea!!!!!
I am really a visual person so the screen shots combined w/ the written descript is a perfect combo!!!!!

This is just great! very useful
thanks for sharing

thank you xx

This is great Mark!!! I'm sure lots will find this helpful.

hank you thank you thank you :-)

Wow I can't wait to try this out!