Hi it’s Anna Mason, and in this video I wanted so show you how I created the subtle,
pale fur effects of this cute little hamster using
watercolour.
These guys can really move so I worked from a photo and began with an outline drawing
which marked in the main features like the eyes, ears, nose and paws.
To map out where the different colours go, I first painted the very lightest colours
within each part. I started with the fur - creating a REALLY watery grey-brown mix which was the
same colour as the LIGHTEST bits of fur that I could see. I painted it all over the fur,
even into the areas of fur that needed to be a bit darker - because this colour could
sit underneath those darker colours that I’d apply on top later. Even though I was working
with my larger sized brush, with this first layer I started to apply the paint in short
brushstrokes in the direction I could see the fur sat in - to begin to create the fur
effects straight away. Then I used a smaller brush and applied a
watery pale version of the pink for the nose...
front paws... and back paws.
Before using a darker black mix, but still at a watery consistency - which meant it was
grey on the paper - to mark in the hamsters eyes - being sure to leave the little white
areas of reflection. Then I used this same mix to work on the shadow
underneath the hamster. And then added some more brown to the mix
to paint the ears - leaving little line gaps to give the impression of the white hairs
in front of them. With that layer dry, I returned to the fur
and set about working on the darker parts with another layer. This Hamster is a full
length class in my online school and it’s aimed at students who tend to take their watercolours
too dark too quickly. So the paint mix is kept almost as watery as the first, super
watery layer - the idea being that we can always darken up more with additional layers
but if we work watery - we won’t risk overdoing it and ending up with a really grey looking
hamster. With that layer dry, we can use another pale,
watery grey mix, and apply it into the very darkest parts of the fur. By using a tiny
brush and lots of short strokes, I start to create a further level of hairy detail to
the fur as I also darken. Getting the strokes in the right direction also helps to provide
form, as does getting those broader shapes of the darker colour in the right place.
I achieve this by careful looking, back and forth, from my painting to the reference photo
as I paint.
I added some more brown to the fur in the ears and darkened those a touch.
Then with the paper dry, I used a really WATERY, very pale, yellow -brown colour and worked
on the fur’s midtone areas - so not the lightest, not the darkest parts - again adding
hairy texture as I did so. After painting the dark eyes, nose and paws
some more, I added more very short brush strokes around them
Before making some tonal adjustments by further
darkening up some of the fur - but crucially STILL using a watery, pale mix and always
making sure the layer underneath is dry before adding another. So the darkening is happening
due to the build up of SUBTLE layers of pale paint, which means we can ensure we’re not
going too dark. Then I added more details such as the whiskers,
and more tiny hairs around the face, before focusing on the body again to add in
even more detail with the tiny brush and the pale mix - to darken a fraction as well as
add even more texture.
A full video class of this hamster is available now
in my online School.
If you’ve enjoyed this video, please Subscribe to my YouTube channel and I’d
love it if you’d share this video with your friends.
And if you’d like to take one of my tried and tested video classes for FREE, pop over to
AnnaMasonArt.com where you’ll find even
more resources to help you pick up your brush and paint the way you’ve always wanted to.
Remember, you won’t improve your painting unless you MAKE the time to paint. So be sure
to schedule in some me-time this week and paint something YOU love. And if you need
help with that, my website also has plenty of tips to help you make painting a priority.
Thanks so much for watching and I’ll see you soon with another tip for creating watercolours
with “wow”.