Project 30: Gray Squirrel

Gray squirrels are common in North America and are predominantly gray in color. They appear brownish or tawny in the summer and have white underbellies.

Reference Photo

1 Establish the Lights, Darks and Basic Form

Lightly sketch the squirrel in pencil. Use a kneaded eraser to lighten the pencil lines. With Payne’s Gray thinned with turpentine and a no. 5 round (for the broader areas) and a no. 1 round (for details), paint the basic lines and values.

2 Paint the Darker Values

For the darker values, mix Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna and a small amount of Ultramarine Blue. Paint the darks with a no. 5 round. With a clean no. 2 filbert, soften the line at the edge of the squirrel’s back where it meets your background.

3 Paint the Middle Values

For the basic middle value colors, mix the gray using Titanium White, Ultra marine Blue, Raw Sienna and Burnt Umber. Mix the tawny color for the face, feet and haunches with Titanium White, Raw Sienna, Cadmium Orange and Burnt Sienna. Use no. 3 rounds to paint these colors. Be sure to use brushstrokes that follow the way the hair grows.

For the pinkish inside of the ear, mix Cadmium Red Light, Titanium White and Burnt Umber. Use a no. 1 round. With a separate no. 1 round, get a little Burnt Umber on your brush and paint the dark area inside the ear, blending up into the pinkish color. Take the brush with the pinkish color and blend into the Burnt Umber, too, until you have a good blend between the two colors. Allow the painting to dry overnight.

GRAY SQUIRREL

Oil on gesso-primed Masonite

8” × 10” (20cm × 25cm)

4 Paint the Lighter Values and Fur Detail

Mix the color for the darker fur detail with Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue and Raw Sienna. Use a no. 0 round to paint some hair texture. Blend with a no. 3 round and some of the gray mixture or tawny mixture from Step 3. Blend just enough so that the fur looks natural.

For the highlights, mix Titanium White, a little Raw Sienna and a touch of Cadmium Yellow Light for warmth. Use a no. 0 round to paint small dabs, allowing the paint to be a little thicker in these areas. This will make the squirrel stand out against your background.