Reference photo. This original photograph is available to download at www.tamingwildlife.com or here at Lycaon African Wild Dog – Free photo on Pixabay
As a dog lover, I can’t resist these beautiful animals. I just love the striking colours in their coats, their fabulous satellite dishes for ears and how they care for each and every member of their pack, especially if they are sick and can’t hunt. Painted wild dogs are elusive and can be hard to spot on safari in South Africa, but any encounter with them, even here in a UK wildlife or safari park, is never forgotten. Follow me as I show you how to paint this exquisite wild dog in pastel pencils.
Before you start
Before we start, there are a couple of things to say about the way that I use pastel pencils as all artists have different styles and ways of working. I always paint from light to dark. This means that I apply all the lightest colours to a painting first and then gradually start to add the darker colours on top. This is my own personal technique but there are many other pastel artists who prefer to work in reverse, from dark to light. I also only use pastel pencils on smooth card. Again, this is another personal preference, as I love the fine art quality that a smooth surface lends to my pencil technique.
I mainly use a grid to transfer my outline using a white pastel pencil, as I quite often work to tight deadlines. Using a grid means I can draw my subject to the exact size I want to reproduce it, and I know it will be an accurate representation. If you haven’t used a grid before, there is a blog explaining how to use it on my website www.tamingwildlife.com
I always make sure I have a few A4 sheets of spare paper available
