So how DID you paint that? Part Three

Now I get onto painting in the zebras, Tommies and adding a bit of detailing to the ground in front of them. Whilst painting these animals I have to consider that I do not want them to stand out particularly. Firstly they are a distance away from us and secondly their markings do as they are supposed to and merge them into their surroundings. I started with the zebs, painting them in first with a peachy white, adding purplish shading to mould their forms and then a darker purple to paint in their stripes. I went back and highlighted the stripes making them lighter where the light would catch them and darker in the shadows. I added a little dust at their feet to imply the dry conditions and a light breeze.


The gazelles were next and I started off in the same way by first painting in their basic shape in a peachy white. Adding the colour for their backs and a darker purple with a touch of black for their side stripes, facial markings and horns on the males.

I did not approach painting these animals with a mind for great detail – just enough to imply their form and markings. Some of these animals will be semi-obscured by vegetation as I add more to the painting. Once again the idea is not to make these animals stand out but to merge them in with their surroundings. Finally on this stage I added some longer grasses and detailing to the ground. These stiff long grasses are sometimes used by gazelles to scent mark by leaving sticky tar-like secretions from the gland on their face below the eye on the grass stem.
The next stage in the painting will be the tree crown and vegetation on the left of the composition.