In our previous tutorials, we touched upon some basic techniques for emphasizing volume in our subject and maintaining that sense of volume when adding biographical details. For simplicity we concentrated on one object isolated on the page, and this is fine for a portrait style artwork. However as we continue in our desire to equate our artistic vision with our subject’s look and character, the environment it inhabits becomes more and more relevant.

Our natural inclination is to go for the detail. After all it’s why we want to paint the animal in the first place. As wildlife artist’s we are attracted to the beauty and patterns we see in our subject. The detail and colour of the feathers, or the textures and rhythm of the fur. Who would not be inspired by the myriad of crusty wrinkles on the skin of a bull elephant bathed in light.

As artists we are faced with many challenges in our desire to represent a 3 dimensional world on a 2 dimensional surface. Over thousands of years artists have struggled with how best to translate their artistic vision and thankfully today a vast tapestry of techniques and skills exists for us to utilize.