How To Draw Black Fur | Coloured Pencil Demo

In this tutorial video I'll be giving some tips and tricks on how to render black fur! Whilst I share my advice, I'll also explain the process of how I completed a recent commission of a black & tan Jack Russell terrier in coloured pencils.
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Frequently Asked Questions: claudiasketches.wixsite.com/h...
Blog post- how to edit reference photos to make them easier to draw: bit.ly/2DHLFFo
Claudia's Sketchers Discord server: / discord
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Mentioned & related videos:
-What brands of coloured pencils I use & why: • My FAVOURITE Coloured ...
-Pastelmat mini-review: • Clairefontaine Pastelm...
-How to blend coloured pencils with Zest-It: • How to Blend Coloured ...
-Drawing White Fur & How to choose and mix colours: • How To Choose & Mix Co...
-Coloured pencil playlist: bit.ly/2R2z5TW
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Materials:
*Clairefontaine Pastelmat (Light Grey):
UK: amzn.to/2v01zUa
US: amzn.to/2MroJyt
*Prismacolor Col-erase:
UK: amzn.to/2J3ZX1O
US: amzn.to/2LgEgLR
*Faber-Castell Polychromos:
UK: amzn.to/2BzJbYU
US: amzn.to/2Bt0OcN
*Derwent Artists Black & White:
UK: amzn.to/2J0Wf9c
US: amzn.to/2BJQjCb
*Derwent Drawing Pencils:
UK: amzn.to/2GiCAzW
US: amzn.to/2PmiOIN
*Zest-It Pencil Blend:
UK: amzn.to/2J0nOQ0
US: amzn.to/2wkBDDg
-Caran d'Ache Luminance and Pablos
-Brush & Pencil Touch-Up Texture
-Synthetic filbert brush to apply liquid solvents and Touch-Up Texture
-Helix metal desktop crank sharpener
-Tombow Mono Zero, Derwent Electric Eraser and Faber-Castell Putty Eraser
Mentioned alternatives and extras:
Other abrasive papers (sanded papers) e.g. Canson Mi-Teintes Touch, Fisher, UArt, Sennelier Pastelcard.
-Texture Fixatives (e.g. workable fixatives, Brush & Pencil Texture Fixative)
*Glassine Paper (Non-stick, art safe paper for protecting artwork)
UK: amzn.to/2BcYiY2
US: amzn.to/2PmLT6K
The links under the supplies listed above are Amazon Affiliates links. This means that by purchasing through these links, I earn a percentage commission on the sale at no extra cost to you! Thank you for your support- you’re helping me to review more products and improve my channel’s content!
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Music: Yard Sale- Silent Partner
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[@ClaudiaSketches]

Hi guys! Hope you enjoyed the video! I'd love to know what sort of tutorials you'd like to see next! Just to let you know, I am aware that there's a small section of this piece (towards the end) that didn't record- these things happen occassionally!

[@christinemargaretvarey4201]

Hi Claudia,this is the best portrait of a jack russell I have seen. You are a brilliant artist and a excellent teacher. Thankyou for sharing your work with us. Absolutely breathtaking.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting, Christine! I'm really glad you like what I do :)

[@artbyconniedawn9680]

You are brilliant with your tutorials and you are so thorough with all the information and describing what you do. Wish I could see more from you as I have watched everything you have put up on KZbin, several times lol.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you so much, Connie! I'd love to make more videos, just don't have the time to right now. Thank you for being such an avid watcher :)

[@candacenystrom1891]

I'm doing my first ever dog commission and found this very helpful. Thank you for sharing. I'll be watching this over and over for a bit till I get it just right!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Good luck with your dog commission :)

[@sherylyoung7633]

So amazing to watch, the portrait looks incredible!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much! :)

[@AlexandoriaART]

I finally got around to watch this, and you did such a wonderful job! Great tutorial and great artwork! ^-^

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you so much! I'm really glad you liked it :)

[@flarositas]

Beautiful!!!! Marvelous!!! Sublime!!!!!

[@katywuste9054]

This is why I subscribed, beautifully explained and I’m sure the owner of the dog was absolutely delighted with the portrait of his pooch

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much for watching and commenting! I'm so pleased you enjoyed the video :)

[@artbyconniedawn9680]

Love love love your tutorials

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much! :)

[@emmap7565]

Amazing, thank you for sharing your unbelievable talent!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@Krempelliesel]

Absolutely georgeous! He is jumping right out of the paper :) For further videos I would like to see some sort of draping fabric, such as denim, silk, knitwear.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you for watching and commenting! Sounds like I need another cat-in-a-jumper commission! :P I have already drawn a cat in a knitted sweater in one of my older videos if you'd like to check it out- I explained how I drew the jumper a little in that video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHOppamdj5ppaq8

[@angelinashuk]

It looks like a German hunting Terrier, a jagd terrier. We had one years ago. Now we are happy owners of a jack russel. As for work it's brilliant. Thanks.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you! Hadn't heart of the breed but I certainly see what you mean in terms of colouration. He's a definitely a jack russell (with a smooth coat) though from what I was told, just with slightly unusual colouration/markings. :)

[@draw2night]

Very helpful drawing tutorial!🌻

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you, glad you found it useful! :)

[@ParasolMushroomStudios]

I remember when I was coloring in a toucan I used some blue to blend out the black because it had a slight blue tint to it! - Good video! :3

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I remember! You did a great job on that one. Thank you :)

[@sptutorials5925]

My goshhhhhhhh😱You spendid 10 hours for this drawing just for a KZbin video I'm proud of you dear keep going😀🖋👍🏻👍🏻

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thanks! This one was a commission so I was paid for my time drawing :)

[@leontinajarai7138]

O frumusete de lucrare ,felicitari !🥰👋😍

[@dijosephine9556]

Great job👍👏

[@DennisCNolasco]

Awesome pup portrait! I gotta try these tips on my next 🐕 portrait.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you for watching and commenting :) Glad you found the video helpful!

[@samanthagrande1560]

Wow amazing!!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much :)

[@marytejurgelioniene1524]

Very nice work.🤗♥️😁👍

[@barbbell6291]

Another wonderful video Claudia. This looks like a photo, so realistic. Your videos are really helpful and the voice overs are very well done. I look forward to every new one! Thank you for explaining the dark fur process, has been a bit of a problem for me. Would you recommend the Pablo pencils? I haven’t been able to try them nor heard many reviews/comments. I’m looking at the Arteza pencils right now...it never ends, perhaps adding these will add that little something I’m looking for😼!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you so much, Barb! Your kind and thoughtful comment means a lot. :) I'm very much on the fence with Pablos. I think their laydown is gorgeously smooth- but they're firm enough to maintain a sharp point and they're very pigmented and opaque so are also brilliant for details. However, from what I've managed to find about their lightfastness ratings, the majority aren't up to standard for using to create work for sale or display. I find this a bit disappointing given that their price is on par with pencils that *do* have very good ratings. I made a couple of blog posts about lightfastness- Overview/general comparison between brands: claudiasketches.wixsite.com/home/single-post/2018/07/17/Lightfastness-Comparison--which-coloured-pencils-are-the-most--and-the-least--lightfast In-depth look and explanation of each brand and set size: claudiasketches.wixsite.com/home/single-post/2018/07/17/An-in-depth-look-at-the-lightfastness-of-coloured-pencil-brands

[@marionwigzell7334]

Gorgeous portrait Claudia. :-) Marion

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much for watching and commenting, Marion! :)

[@lynnrushton7458]

Really lovely.....thank you 👍😍

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you for watching and commenting! Glad you liked it :)

[@suzannefulton4068]

Your narrative is so very helpful. I have recently been working on a black cat on vellum paper. It does not allow for more than two layers, it seems. I may have to start over using Pastelmat because it's a commissioned work and the client wants the fur to be very black.

[@pamgaylord2130]

I love your break down of the process and find this very helpful. Do you offer any "real time" videos showing your process of using the solvents?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you for watching and commenting! I have a livestream from a while back which shows some real-time process of this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2OtpKpjmqmkas0

[@lorrainepapacoda4132]

So beautiful!! Doing a dog just like this right now and having such a difficult time. Are you just coloring in with the first layers? I have a hard time with black fur

[@RobynBArtist]

New Subscriber!! Great video!!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much for watching, commenting and subscribing! :)

[@Wolfattwilight]

Gorgeous pic! My only complaint is that id like it more if u listed in the video what colors you are using. Its great that you are goin over tips and stuff

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much :) Colour choices depend very much on lighting- so the colours I've used work for this specific dog in this lighting. The colour choices would likely be different (or in different quantities or mixes) for different animals- or even the same dog in different lighting.

[@AyaSmith]

Anyone know if you can paint watercolors onto pastel mat?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I've used watersoluble/watercolour pencils on pastelmat multiple times to good effect, so I assume so! Check out my reviews on Albrecht Dürer watercolour pencils, Derwent Metallic and Derwent watercolour pencils.

[@angieespinosaa]

hello your SO GUD, but also what is the brush and liquid that you use to smooth the color pencil lines out?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Hi! For future reference all the materials I use are listed in the description. I use liquid solvents (Zest-It pencil blend) and a synthetic filbert brush.

[@jackiehutchison8386]

Love your videos. What is the liquid you use?

[@barbaradorinacsatari3074]

Hi! Amazing tutorial! However, I have a question. I think I see Polychromos as the first layer ?! Or, is it another kind of water soluble pencil? Or do you simply just use watercolor and then adding the layers on?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I use a mixture of coloured pencils- a list of them are in the description- and use solvents to blend them out. :) No watercolour pencils though, but any coloured pencil can be diluted with liquid solvents.

[@michaelmcewan432]

You are so good, could you try pastels, only if you want,, love all your work 😁😁

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thanks, Michael! Right now I'm experimenting with PanPastels but it'll be a while before I can get a video up about them- it takes time to learn a new medium and I'm currently juggling commissions and reviews. I have made two videos on pastels in the past though: Oil pastels: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mH6vhYdsmLerack Pastel sticks & pencils: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWbMkmiPo5mbhK8

[@gabym255]

(I use prisma) I do the same exact thing that you say (but before draw I put down a layer of white so once I’m done I can use a blade to add some white fur since it’s an older dog) but I can’t layer my black to be dark, the only way I can is to press down hard but that makes each fur strand thick and not realistic, can you help?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

In this situation I'd use a pencil with a harder core so that you can press firmly whilst having a fine point to the pencil to achieve those dark lines

[@tranhieu7947]

you are amazing, can you guide how to preserve the painting after it's done? thank you

[@jazr4224]

how long did it take you to master your skill? Im new to drawing realisticly I really love how my work looks but then I see this masterpeice obviously you'v had alot of experince. I hope my work can look like this. My art doesnt look as bright with color as others its kinda flat Im afraid to put too mich pressure as Iv herd its bad to do so I think I need to layer more.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Hi Jazmin! Although I'd been doodling and dabbling throughout my childhood (check out my childhood sketchbook video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5nLioFne7Fgfqs) , I only started to take drawing seriously in early 2016- which was when I took determined steps to start improving and problem-solving to overcome hurdles. I'm a strong believer that improvement is a natural outcome to perseverance and self-reflection- so it's only a matter of time that you'll see the improvement that you want! Keep up the good work and you'll reach your goals. 😊 I started my instagram account shortly after beginning, so if you scroll back to the beginning of my timeline you'll see where I "started" and where I'm currently at with my work. I also have a video where I showed the contents of my sketchbook and portfolio within a year of starting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2PVpp-brcdroM0 . Intensity in coloured pencils can be created by burnishing- but like you say this will drastically reduce the amount of layers you can add on top of the burnished layer. However, you can also build up intensity using lots of very light layers of coloured pencil. Here it's crucial to use a very sharp pencil to help get into the grain of the paper to remove the little white flecks. You can also try liquid solvents to help smooth out your layers and remove those white flecks, which gives the effect of increasing the colour's intensity whilst still preserving your ability to layer. I strongly recommend experimenting and giving different techniques a try on practice pieces in a sketchbook- that gives you the opportunity to try out techniques without feeling like you might ruin a piece that you're more attached to.

[@sptutorials5925]

I wanted to know which brand you use of colouring pencils 🤔

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Check the description!

[@jasminscott5054]

Hey your work is sooo good! Was just wondering how long roughly does a dog like that take to draw??

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you! About 10 hours, give or take a couple of hours.

[@junejackson849]

Great, what substance are you using with the brush please 😊

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Zest-It pencil blend :) There's a full list of materials (sometimes with links) in the description

[@bettybellbc]

Where do I find the list of pencils used ?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

The materials used are in the description. I do not provide a list of colours used though.

[@weronkabiedronka]

More difficult is white fur

[@ClaudiaSketches]

The process is the same, but it is difficult to avoid making the fur looking dull or muddy! It's usually a lot easier to draw pale subjects on a toned coloured paper. Here's a video where I show how to draw white fur: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJa5mmaHbraKmLM

[@rosered8234]

I noticed on this demo that the lighter pastel mat kind of kept the colour more saturated after applying the OMS … the other demo of the dog ( terrier) the sand colour & white looked washed out . Gorgeous pic though

[@ClaudiaSketches]

A fantastic and thought-provoking comment! Thank you for watching. :) I'm not sure that this directly has so much to do with the pastelmat colour, but more the fact that the pencils I used for the Australian Terrier had much more white pigment in the mix. White pigment has a habit of "disappearing" when blended out with solvents, but becomes more opaque again once the solvents dry. But you are certainly right that transparent colours will appear more luminous on brighter/whiter papers! And by extension this means that I'd use less white in mixes for paler colours when colouring on white/light paper, instead using more transparent colours or less pencil in the layers to achieve pale colours.

[@wheeze2429]

Draw a pit bull next!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Fingers crossed a pit bull owner will commission me :D They have such soft faces! I have drawn a pitt bull x boxer before, check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJa5mmaHbraKmLM

[@Antonio_Ortiz]

You are amazing. You should put some in-depth tutorials on Patreon.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much! Unfortunately I just don't have the time :( I'd love to though!

[@Antonio_Ortiz]

@@ClaudiaSketches I really appreciate that you have these tutorials on KZbin. Very helpful and thorough. Will definitely check out more and perhaps use an affiliate link. Thanks again!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

@@Antonio_Ortiz Thank you very much for the kind words! :D

[@lilysong7194]

was this drawn on tan paper?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

This is indeed toned paper (Light Grey)- I leave a list of materials in the description. Just as a tip- "tan" is a light brown colour. "Toned" describes that it's not white. It's easy to confuse the two as they often are said together (e.g. Strathmore Toned Tan!).

[@pipshenwood6932]

could you do small pets such as hamsters rabbit exc,

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I have done a rabbit and a guinea pig before- check out my channel to find those. :) Most of my commissions are cats and dogs (so that's what I end up with footage of), but that's not to say I'm not open for commissions of small animals!

[@pipshenwood6932]

@@ClaudiaSketches omg u replied!

[@AngelA-ng5cg]

Is that watercolor?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

No, 100% coloured pencil. Check the video description for a list of materials. :)

[@bosver4129]

İmpressive

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you for watching and commenting :)

[@bosver4129]

Claudia Sketches you are welcome 🥰 ❣️

[@ondrapavlin2104]

how is this possible

[@catsontherise4300]

Cheap trick...take a sandwich bag and put that in between your hand and your work and it won't smudge.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Fantastic tip! Watch out for static though- some plastics generate enough static to pull the pigment off of the paper (especially with pastels!)

[@catsontherise4300]

Claudia Sketches Thank you! That is good to remember. So far I've been using it with graphite and I haven't had any problems, but I will remember that when I start again with pigments.