Fluffy animal fur

Layered strokes for cats, bunnies and teddy bears.

Level: advanced. About 35 minutes.

What you need

• Three or four warm browns or oranges from light to dark
• Brush tips for the hair strokes
• A white gel pen
• A colorless blender (optional)

Steps

1. Start with a light base

   Color the whole animal with the lightest marker. This base is the color that peeks through between all the little hairs.

2. Find the direction of the fur

   Fur grows out from the nose and over the head and body. Lightly pencil a few arrows so your strokes all go the right way.

3. Short strokes with the medium

   Use quick, short flicks in the direction of the arrows. Leave gaps between them so the base still shows.

4. Fewer, darker strokes in the shadows

   Add the darkest marker only where the fur is in shadow: under the chin, behind the ears, in stripes. Fewer strokes than the last layer.

5. Add light hairs on top

   When everything is dry, draw a few thin white hairs with the gel pen on the light side. It makes the fur look soft and fluffy.

Practice

• Fill each box with short fur strokes: light, medium, dark.
• Color the cat, following the dashed arrows.
• Practice white gel pen hairs on top of a dark strip.