This leopard is my new charcoal wildlife portrait, hopefully finished, framed and in the gallery soon.
The Leopard
Leopards roam in Africa and Asia. They routinely hunt from, lounge in, and drag their prey into trees. They are nocturnal predators that are at home in the water as well.
Their spots are called Rosettes because they resemble the shape of a rose. The spots serve as camouflage allowing the leopard to blend in with the leaves of a tree. Black Leopards are called Black panthers.
I was lucky enough to be provided the reference material for this beautiful animal from a friend who photographed a number of Leopards while on safari in Africa. Eventually, I also have a great photo, that I will use to create a painted leopard portrait from as well.
Technical challenges of drawing spots
The drawing of the coat on a spotted animal is always a challenge and inevitably lengthens the time spent to finish the peace. Every spot needs to blend with the fur around it and all of the spots need to look as if they belong together. Fur grows in different directions on the coat of every animal, and the coats markings (especially spots) need to follow these directional patterns.
In the end, if done correctly, a spotted animal Portrait is very interesting and fun to look at. Also fun to create as well!
Thank you for reading this “Today on Cy’s Easel…” blog post. Check back for another entry with a different animal soon!
Also on www.petportraitsbycy.com I will be writing similar Blog posts featuring Pet Portrait Paintings and Drawings. Look for the “Today on Cy’s Easel…” Pet Portrait posts!
