Baby elephants are so expressive. They seem able to adopt the most unlikely positions, and this one is no exception!
My initial drawing of the elephant isn’t too detailed, but it’s crucial at this stage to get the proportions right. Spend as much time as you need on your sketch, as you can’t go back and correct something you don’t like later. Small tweaks maybe – but larger issues of proportion will mean you’ll have to start again from scratch.
TIP: You can use the length of your pencil to measure sizing on your drawing compared to the original.
Next, I use Winsor & Newton paints to add colour. The paints I choose include Payne’s Gray, whilst mixing in some Yellow Ochre and shades of purple and pink in certain areas; notably on the ellie’s ears, back and knee. These additions help to lift the painting so that it doesn’t appear flat. Then I apply Ivory Black to the elephant’s eye and to the dark shading between the elephant’s trunk and knee.
My next step is to focus on the elephant’s face. (After all, this is where you start to see that it’s an elephant, with its curled trunk, expressive eye, and flapping ear.) Note the darker shading of Payne’s Gray around the right side of the elephant’s face. I also add the detail of the small hairs around the head and the wrinkles to the trunk. Then, I add purple to the elephant’s eye to accentuate it. I also add some ochre around the elephant to “ground” it. This has the added effect of making the trunk appear more three dimensional and foregrounding the elephant’s head.
Next, I continue shading and adding detail with darker washes of Payne’s Gray around the back leg. I also add the detail of the back leg’s knee. The tucked away foot requires shading and toenail detail, and the curled leg needs definition of the foot and bend. I also lift some of the Payne’s Gray paint from around the elephant’s eye (with toilet paper) to create the highlight in this area.
Finally, I focus on the finer details such as the wrinkles all over the elephant’s body, and on his curled-up leg. I also add the hairs over his back and ear. Additionally, I spend time on the ear with darker shadows hinting at the texture and folds.
And then, it is finished! I hope you like him.
