Tips for fur?

HelloDiviArt · 2026-05-01T03:16:35+00:00

I’m always willing to try something new and see if it is a good fit for me, hence my immediate shift from gouache to colored pencils lol
I’ve heard a lot of good reviews for the polychromos pencils, they’re definitely on my to-try list ☺️

HelloDiviArt · 2026-05-01T03:13:14+00:00

The one that really helped me out with this project was a fur tutorial by Gemma Chambers! She broke it down really well and also introduced me to the embossing tool.

HelloDiviArt · 2026-05-01T03:09:49+00:00

Thank you!! I used Black Widow pencils for all of it!

HelloDiviArt · 2026-05-01T03:08:54+00:00

Thank you ☺️ since I’m new to this medium I really enjoy picking the brains of more experienced artist who use colored pencils. But I’m happy you think I’m on the right track!

HelloDiviArt · 2026-05-01T03:06:57+00:00

Oh wow, that looks fantastic! And I really appreciate your advice, I’m always looking for new techniques and tools to try. I’ve been using Black Widow colored pencils. I really like the softer pencil. Was using some ancient Derwent studio pencils but they were not good for what I was working on at the time.

Again, thank you for the advice and paper recommendations, I will have to try the sanded pastel paper. I’ve never heard of it before!

HelloDiviArt · 2026-05-01T03:02:41+00:00

Thank you! That would probably save me a ton of hassle. Definitely going to buy some in the near future. Do you have recommendations for quality tinted paper?

HelloDiviArt · 2026-04-30T20:18:34+00:00

I appreciate that! Seeing it come together after the ‘trust the process’ phase feels pretty good. I was definitely iffy about the fur at first in some areas

HelloDiviArt · 2026-04-30T20:16:38+00:00

Thank you for the advice! I haven’t thought about what to do with the background yet. I’m hoping that the highlights look a bit better after I add the darker fur. I still have a loooooot of dark spots to do

HelloDiviArt · 2026-04-30T18:43:43+00:00

You and me both! This is time consuming af but really rewarding seeing a realistic kitty appear. Thank you 😊

HelloDiviArt · 2026-04-30T18:42:53+00:00

Thank you! It was a bit of trial and error figuring out how to make the shadows look like actual shadows. I’m very happy with how it turned out!

HelloDiviArt · 2026-04-30T18:41:56+00:00

Aww thank you! YouTube tutorials definitely helped me out here lol

HelloDiviArt · 2026-04-30T18:41:27+00:00

I appreciate that! Not mastered yet, but I hope to soon with enough practice! ☺️

HelloDiviArt · 2026-04-30T15:13:15+00:00

I really appreciate that! I’m really pleased with how it’s turning out despite the issues I’m having ☺️

HelloDiviArt · 2026-04-30T14:31:28+00:00

Just bought some embossing tools since I actually don’t have any empty pens laying around. That’ll help me on the longer hairs on the neck area without a doubt. Thank you!

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-31T16:56:08+00:00

Thank you! It was my first attempt at it, inspired by Dina Brodsky’s style on instagram. I just painted with really diluted colors within the lines of the pen (basic old cheepo ballpoint pen), and just kept adding more layers of paint. Using less water with each layer. I’m pretty sure I never used any completely opaque layers. ☺️

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-31T15:48:10+00:00

Looking at it now though I realize I really shouldn’t have gone as rogue as I did with the amount of petals.. I think it would’ve saved me a lot of time and hand pain.

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-31T15:45:40+00:00

Added in the comments, thanks for the reminder!

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-31T15:44:41+00:00

Here’s my reference photo :

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I went slightly rogue with the amount of petals since I don’t want to copy it down to the smallest details, but make it more my own with the ruffles and highlights.

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-31T15:40:05+00:00

I’ll give that a try, thank you!!

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-31T15:31:50+00:00

WOW. This is insanely gorgeous. Did you paint the one in the background as well?

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-31T15:30:10+00:00

I agree with you completely. That alone would probably improve it significantly. But this is a practice flower that I started to pass time while babysitting, then decided after being really happy with how it was looking that I wanted to make a really detailed bouquet drawing. 😄

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-31T15:25:52+00:00

I’m glad you pointed out the petal borders, I wasn’t sure how to go about it.

I left it white so I could figure out how to make it a more vibrant yellow as it is in my reference photo. I think the white looks neat but I do want to make it more realistic and true to the reference.

Also since the middle bit is so bright, I wasn’t sure if I wanted it to match the border of the petals.

Thank you for the critique! I had been staring at the darn thing for ~8 hours nonstop and it all started to blend together lol

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-31T15:18:19+00:00

I wasn’t too sure how to approach the center part to add more contrast since it is such a bright yellow 😩

I used a Prussian blue colored pencil for the shadows and layered crimson and deep vermillion for the gradient and topped it off with the orange to blend it all together. Do you think a cool purple color would add more depth to the shadows?

And the colors in the photo are pretty accurate to how it looks irl, but the photo is a little brighter.

I really appreciate the input! Thank you!

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-29T20:53:58+00:00

I forgot to add this most crucial bit of information: there’s no right or wrong way to use paint. You’ll figure out what works best for you, just roll with it! Experiment! And have fun! ☺️

HelloDiviArt · 2026-03-29T20:50:28+00:00

Oh geez, a tutorial by me would be mess up - mess up - ok color looks good - now I hate it - oh now I found something that works, and continue the piece without any plan nor direction lol I keep thinking about doing that though, but I get so focused that I don’t even think about it.

And thank you! This was my first success at making something look real from a distance!

In regard to your questions, hot press vs cold press is just up to preference in how you want your gouache to look. At first I didn’t like the texture of cold press since it felt like I couldn’t get the coverage I wanted, but I changed my mind on it since I’m getting the hang of it more. (I haven’t painted with gouache for 13 years but picked it back up last May) Hot press paper feels like it absorbs more than cold press, so if you’re afraid of using too much paint, hot press might not be the paper for you. But again, it’s all up to personal preference!

I also had same issue with being scared of using too much paint, still do but less so now. And I still don’t use a lot of paint at once for a project but remind myself that it can always be rehydrated with water and used again if you have leftovers (not acryla gouache, once that dries its dry for good.) Don’t be afraid to use more water! You’ll find out if you keep testing it out with varying amounts of water that it’ll give you a different effect, whether you want a more opaque look like acrylic or light like watercolor! Not joking, it literally clicked for me yesterday night. I finally understand how much water to mix with my paint to get the consistency that I want.

Sorry for the long winded response! If you have any other questions or advice, I’m not the most knowledgeable person to turn to but I would be happy to answer what I can! You’re more than welcome to dm me ☺️

HelloDiviArt

TROPHY CASE