The way I paint a hedgehog.

Mid December, I expect you are all very busy thinking about Christmas, I have been rushing around getting things off to the post office , posting off orders for people and finishing off commissions.

In this damp weather, it doesn't feel very Christmassy and this afternoon it felt like a time to hunker down and paint a hedgehog, maybe if you have time , a few hours painting might be just the job.

 

Firstly I drew my little hedgehog

 

Then I added whiskers with masking fluid and a paper clip, 

 

 

Next I start on the eye. 

 

Note carefully where the light is hitting it, and leave those bits out when you paint the cerulean blue.

 

Now use a darker colour to add more definition 

I use a mixture of cobalt blue and cadmium red. Then I make a darker colour of sepia and indigo and use that for the pupil and the edge of the eye.

Then I work on the eye socket, where it fits into the hedgehog really, again cerulean blue is my starting point.

Then darken the edges , with the darker shades. Think again about where the light hits.

Now you can move onto the nose

Under painting again with cerulean blue and then adding darker shades with cadmium red and cobalt blue.

There is a light patch just under the nostril, and you can get carker with sepia and indigo.

 

Now the detailed bits are done, and I can flood the fur with yellow ochre, mot to strong .

Then wet in wet then drop in the darker shades , again cadmium red and cobalt blue. 

I drop in cerulean blue and darker shades of brown, you can almost see the hedgehog appear before your very brushes, experiment and see what works

 Then I use yellow ochre to fill in where the spines would be, this is all quite wet.

Then I use a strong mixture of cadmium red and cobalt blue, with a small brush I drop in some spines, letting the watercolour do it's stuff.

 

Now all that remains are the finishing touches, a few splats and splashes , covering the face to protect it.

 

 

I also use some white acrylic , 

 

Then add any extras you like to make it all seem believable , I don't like to add too much but some people like a lot more background.

Have fun, have a go and forget about Christmas for a while x