Day Dreamer

This is a sketch of a young leopard looking up into the dappled canopy of a tree.

It has been sketched using the medium of Pastel and Panpastel on clairefontaine
paper whilst using a beautiful reference photograph courtesy of Nic Caley.

Below are the sequence of photos showing how I sketched the above image

Firstly I lightly sketched in some details of the young leopard lying with its head on a branch

I then gradually started by adding a dappled effect to the background.

By softening the background it makes the cub seem more three dimensional.

Working at the main easel on the leopards rhinarium

Now I'm starting on the eyes which has a lot of reflective light coming from the canopy

Having now added the second ear, I've begun to work down it's snout to it's mouth

Sharpening up the reflections in the leopards eyes by using a 101 white pastel pencil

The spots and mouth are being filled in now before I begin adding the fur.

Here I've slowly been working on the leopards cheeks and mouth area.

I'm using a pointed eraser to soften and work around the top and sides of the mouth

I'm slowly working down the leopard's cheek to its chin and left paw

I've added in the shoulder fur and started on the paw

Now I'm working on the leopard's neck and then I'll move onto it's paw

Here I'm starting the laborious task of sketching in the finer details of tree bark.

Slowly the bark is beginning to frame the bottom half of the image

The finished scan. You can get a signed limited edition print here >