Hello yall. Im am interested in doing some natural drawing of some of the things i love to do: hunting, fishing, trapping, and dog training. One that i would really like to do is my avatar-a male red fox i trapped last winter my brother caught the vixen the following night. Im just not sure where/how to start? How do you find a way to start something like that? We dont have many fox around here because of the coyotes so i would like to do a sketch to hang beside the hide and photo.

Thank you,
Pintail


Well been tinkering with it:

Well, first of all |'d suggest that you find a good reference image of a fox, then start blocking in the shape of it. You then define the features as you go, keep referring to your reference photo. There are a number of lessons on animals that Brenda has done which are the same for a fox or any other animal. Have a try and see what you come up with

Here that pic im wanting to do of my fox.
(photo of fox removed for sensitivity)

i just hope my sketch will turn out OK. Like i said, i want a sketch to hang beside the photo and the hide. Im sure im gonna be asking for more help before too long.

Thanks
Pintail

update: im not sure im satisfied with how its turning out. the muzzle is gonna give me the most fits!

well i dont know what it is, but i HATE THIS DRAWING. I have no idea why, it doesnt look right to me. In my mind it does not do this fine animal the justice it warrents. THe ears are not finished, nore is the background....where did i go wrong?

Trying to draw realism with an animal takes time and lots of practice.

I think you're headed in the right direction on this piece but it needs some tweaking. Look carefully at your reference and you'll see some changes that need to be made to make this come to life. Check the eyes first. They aren't oblong as indicated in your drawing. The eye itself is round, the fur and skin around the eye provide shading to give it shape. I think the muzzle may be too long for the face. Check measurements constantly when setting up your drawing to ensure that features are in the correct place. An easy way to do this is drop imaginary lines from a feature, such as an eye, and see what lines up with it, so you get the correct proportion.

The most obivous thing that I see is lack of values in your image. You have some darks on the tips of the ears and paws, but the rest is very monotone. You need to introduce shading into the fur but adding layers of graphite. If you're aiming for a realistic animal, this is a slow process. Don't rush it.\

I have attached a sketch I did of a fox to give you an idea of what I'm talking about in terms of building layers, eyes, etc. The sketch isn't complete but may help a little.

The key to all drawing is keen observation. Go with what you eyes see, not what your brain tells you and you'll do fine.

Click to view attachment

I'm by no means an expert at drawing, myself, but was hoping you'd appreciate the advice.. the eyes in your original are looking towards the viewer with fear and anger. The eyes are an extremely important part of making an animal look alive, you'll want to take plenty of time on the details of them. Especially since it's sitting in such a defensive posture, the eyes should reflect its mood. Also, as Islander mentioned, the fur can be built up into darker shades, like on the fluffy tail. The muzzle looks too wide maybe? Hard to tell since the reference picture was removed.

I think you're doing excellent so far, it'll look so great when it's done. Don't give up!

I think this is a little better. I actually ran across a fox today while i was out and about-though i didnt have my camera he allowed me to watch for a few minutes. I have been using my dogs for referece, as well as my photos, and tanned furs. I am starting to like it now. But what do you think?

You're getting there. You do need to increase the values in the animal's fur to show the shapes of the muscles underneath. There should be no hard, angular lines in the body or outline, including the eyes. Everything needs to be defined by values only.

Gradually build up your layers of fur with lots of small strokes, going in the direction of the fur. Look closely for variances in shading....the back for instance is much darker than the rest of your animal and the face is defined by colour as well.

The nose and ears are not solid black, even if it seems that way in your reference. Enlarge your photo on your computer and carefully observe the detail. Light and shade are what give images form and you need to reflect that in your drawing.

If you post your reference again, its easier to give you better advice. Just crop it as I suggested previously, then post it again.

My reference photo. I wont be able to work on the sketch for a few days-im off to a wedding. My brother and i are the Best Men.
The ears were done with a charcoal pencil and are alot of strokes, not solid as it appears in the photo. I belive the camera setting i use to get decent photos makes it appear that way. The awkward pose this fox is in adds to the elegance of the sketch-imo. although i wanted the sketch to be of my fox, i didnt want the exact photo.

I'll try to show you more clearly what I mean when I get home and can tinker with Photoshop. Thanks for posting the image again.

The main problem that you're having is lack of shading to show the form of the animal. Its looking too flat right now. Of course this depends on just what you want out of your drawing. If you're looking for a sketch, then you're heading in the right direction, but still need sculpting in the form of shading. If you want realism, then you have further work to do.

well i was able to jump back into it again after the wedding. I think i like it the way it is.


then i added some more shades. Like i said, i think this one is going to go into my hunting journal.



well, tell me what ya think?
thanks
pintail

I'm a complete and total newbie so with that premise...I would give him a shadow.
I've been following this and you've really come a long way. Nice work.

I know you're getting there Pintail, but I still don't see the range of values that define the shape of the animal. I'm not sure if you're aiming for realism or not. If not, then you're doing ok if you add more shading to give some shape to the head and body. If you want realism, you're going to have to spend more time developing the fur and building layers of graphite to get that in place.

I think some of your problems are down to observation and learning to really see what is in your image instead of what you think is there. Once you can overcome that and believe what your eyes tell you, you'll be able to translate that better into your drawings. Also the quality of your photograph will be reflected in your drawing. You can't get good detail from a poor quality image. However, enlarge it on your screen and pay close attention to detail. Use other reference photos to see the areas that aren't clear and use them to add detail that is missing.

You have the basic shape of the animal, but shading around the shoulders, legs and head give it form. The area around the fox's jaw is quite white, but your drawing doesn't reflect that. Also, the sides of his cheeks don't end in sharp points, they are blunter than that. The lines on the top of his head should be shading, not solid lines. They represent wrinkles of skin under the fur, darkening the furrows, but are not hard lines.

I believe his muzzle is too long and not shaded to show he is growling. Also where is the fox's bottom jaw? It helps provide the expression on the animal's face and give structure.

Recheck the fox's eyes. They are too far apart and not at the correct angle. They should be on an upward slant, not straight on.

Finally I would add some shading around the side of his body/legs to show that he is on the ground and not just floating in the air.