White Fur | An Explanation of Tones and Colours

Drawing white fur is often something that people tell me they struggle with, as it can seem so daunting when you start! It’s difficult to look past all that white and see the other colours you’ll need to complete your drawing.
So, to give those who need it a little help, I thought I’d walk you through how I approach drawing white fur right from the very beginning, and give you a few tips to help you recognise what coloured pencils you’ll need.
I’ll talk you through four different reference photos, all of white animals but with slightly different tones and colours, and show you how to pick out the colours, like grey, yellow, and maybe even blue, to give your drawing the depth and realism that it needs. I’ll also steer you away from making the mistake of thinking that a white pencil will be all you need!
If you have any questions, you can leave me a comment down below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Enjoy!
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[@lynnrushton7458]

What a brilliant idea! Thanks for that Bonny.....white fur scares me to death, & I’m doing a coloured horse at the moment, with LOTS of warm white on her 🙏 x

[@SuperSarandipity]

I had 6 white fluffy dogs and 1 white fluffy cat commissions in a row. I thought I would go mad...I wish I'd seen this, but now...having seen this, I look forward to resolving so many of the issues that I struggled with...I mean 7 in a row is a bit much!

[@clarevandaele1410]

So helpful as always, thank you Bonny!

[@alisonmartin6101]

Wonderful tutorial. Thank you. ♥️🇨🇦

[@windrider5845]

You have quickly become my favorite artist instructor! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! ❤️

[@BonnySnowdonAcademy]

That's very kind thank you :)

[@ArtbyKarenValentine]

I loved this video Bonny!! Thank you for all you do. I keep finding myself saying…” Hmmm what would Bonny do?” 😂

[@tomtop82]

Awesome, thanks a lot for this! 👏😊👍

[@lindamclean8809]

Hi Bonnie.......just an observation....... I’ve noticed that white fur doesn’t have a any colour of it’s own....but it reflects the colours in it’s surrounding environment.......also as you point out.... shadows play a big role. ❤❤❤❤

[@heyyitslise5769]

My problem is the animal looking too grey.

[@BonnySnowdonAcademy]

Adding in pinks and blues really helps :)

[@rupamagdy805]

Very useful tips

[@laurenspooner3026]

Really informative, Thank you for sharing your knowledge 🙂

[@loisparsons2048]

Really liked this

[@kaylaouthred4715]

Great video, thank you!

[@BonnySnowdonAcademy]

Thanks Kayla! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@Jeann1603]

Thank you Bonny. I Will try this someday... my list is quiet long with all wishes i want to draw 😀😍

[@katherinelavoie989]

oh wow thank you so much Bonnie. Great timing. I have a white dog i'm working on.

[@robbiegreen769]

You were going to mention what brand of pencil you would choose, i missed it, so could you please let me know, and seeing how im 2yrs late veiwing this, did you draw the cat, cheers, Robbie

[@BonnySnowdonAcademy]

Polychromos, luminance and pablos 🥰

[@robbiegreen769]

Thank you so much, you are amazing 👏

[@tankimmoeymay2035]

Tq so much.Bonny

[@BonnySnowdonAcademy]

Pleasure 🥰

[@chrysalis1998]

This is a great topic Bonny and a really insightful video... Thank you, I was glued :) I've played around a little with white fur on white paper but my problem is I have trouble seeing where I've placed my greys! :) I put 2 or 3 light layers down, still can't see anything then end up being a little too heavy handed :/ Any suggestions? I wondered if mapping in the darker shadows first might help?

[@BonnySnowdonAcademy]

I think it’s always a good idea to map out your shadows - they then give you a great starting to point and a go to for your values when adding in your mid tones and highlights :)

[@chrysalis1998]

@@BonnySnowdonAcademyAfter a thought, It's the logical path to go down isn't it?😉 Thank you for your help🙂

[@ColorandChatwithJoanna]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! LEARNING TO DRAW GREAT PYRENEES AND YOUR MY SAVIOR!! LOVE U MORE THAN MY SHOES!!!

[@BonnySnowdonAcademy]

Ahh bless you! thank you so much :)

[@ArtandDiamondsWithEskies]

Thank you so much for doing this. I lost one of my very sweet eskies at the end of February and this is very helpful.

[@GetSnaped]

Thanks. I need this to draw my white dog.

[@filipavp_artpais4352]

Thank youuu Bonny. ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

[@vivjackson5497]

Hi Bonny, did you ever do the ‘white’ poodle as a tutorial?

[@BonnySnowdonAcademy]

I didn’t - I must do that ❤️