Step-by-step Greater Kudu
A quick overview of key stages in the Greater Kudu painting
I had spotted a greater kudu in 2013 in teh Maasai Mara, but didn't have a camera on my, so when I decided to paint a greater kudu as part of my conservancy fundraiser last year, I found a few creative commons photos.
I composited the creative commons photos until I had a pose I liked.
I downloaded an $8 greater kudu model from TurboSquid and set a global light to cast shadows. These will inform my over-glazing strategy and help add consistent substance to horns.
I typically swatch out various wash blends until I am happy with the background panel colors. Here, I thought the rich sunset colors would enhance the muted tans, russets and beiges of the kudu.
I very quickly laid water up to the outline of the subject silhouette and blended wet-on-wet the colors, using Pyrol red, Hausa Yellow Deep and a touch of Yellow Ochre. I use Daniel Smith paints, and restrict my background to a square panel, with a horizon line swash benaeath.
I frequently paint the eyes first, to establish the personality and expression of the subject. This allows me to emotionally connect with the subject as I paint.
I combine wet-on-dry, wet-on-wet and dry brush for the head. I focus on creating depth and expression in the wrinkles on his forehead and lay in the long dimple between cheek and muzzle.
I darken the muzzle band, deepen the dimple and start to glaze for soft shadows.
Kudus have impressive horns, spiralling up to six feet, with deep grooves and furrows and a distinctive pebbled texture. After I laid down basic block colors with wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry painting, and while the paint was still quite wet, I sprinkled sea salt for texture.
I glaze over the textured horns and deepen cast shadows and furrows, letting the sea salt texture show through.
Kudus have very prominent, large ears with quite bright, deep crimson to russet blotches on the inner surface. I paint wet-on-wet with alazarin crimson and burnt sienna light to begin to build up the soft gradations of color. I also lay in the base wet-on-dry of his silky beard.
After glazing and over painting wet-on-wet, I finally achieve the coloration and texture I want for the inner ears. I also add in the silky hair of his beard.
A photo of an actual Little Sparrowhawk, "Sax" rescued by the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust
I block in the body, using wet-on-wet and creating deliberate blooms for effect, glazing over while still satin wet to create cast shadows. Stripes are still masked with liquid frisket.
I detail the luxurious beard and lower mane and strengthen cast shadows with softly bled glazing.
I had spotted a greater kudu in 2013 in the Maasai Mara, but didn't have a camera on me, so when I decided to paint one as part of my conservancy fundraiser project last year, I found a few creative commons photos.
I composit the creative commons photos in Photoshop, on my laptop until I had a pose I liked.
Then I use a Huion 1060 Pro pressure sensitive graphics tablet and stylus to trace over the outlines and contour areas.
I downloaded an $8 greater kudu model from TurboSquid and set a global light to cast shadows. These will inform my over-glazing strategy and help add consistent substance to horns.
I very quickly laid water up to the outline of the subject silhouette and blended wet-on-wet the colors, using Pyrol red, Hausa Yellow Deep and a touch of Yellow Ochre. I use Daniel Smith paints, and restrict my background to a square panel, with a horizon line swash benaeath.
I frequently paint the eyes first, to establish the personality and expression of the subject. This allows me to emotionally connect with the subject as I paint.
I combine wet-on-dry, wet-on-wet and dry brush for the head. I focus on creating depth and expression in the wrinkles on his forehead and lay in the long dimple between cheek and muzzle.
I darken the muzzle band, deepen the dimple and start to glaze for soft shadows.
Kudus have impressive horns, spiralling up to six feet, with deep grooves and furrows and a distinctive pebbled texture. After I laid down basic block colors with wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry painting, and while the paint was still quite wet, I sprinkled sea salt for texture.
I glaze over the textured horns and deepen cast shadows and furrows, letting the sea salt texture show through.
Kudus have very prominent, large ears with quite bright, deep crimson to russet blotches on the inner surface. I paint wet-on-wet with alazarin crimson and burnt sienna light to begin to build up the soft gradations of color. I also lay in the base wet-on-dry of his silky beard.
After glazing and over painting wet-on-wet, I finally achieve the coloration and texture I want for the inner ears.
I block in the body, using wet-on-wet and creating deliberate blooms for effect, glazing over while still satin wet to create cast shadows. Stripes are still masked with liquid frisket.
I detail the luxurious beard and lower mane and strengthen cast shadows with softly bled glazing. I remove the liquid frisket mask, and over-paint the stripes so they are light beige, instead of pure paper white. Our majestic greater kudu is complete!
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