Painting Realistic Curly Fur in Oil – 9 Tips

graphic for Curly White Fur article on how to paint realistic curly white fur. 4 images of a painting of a dog with curly white hair. The largest image on the left is finished. The smaller 3 images are in various stages of painting. Text reads "Painting Realistic Curly Fur". Painting by Shelley Hanna.

Painting realistic curly fur is definitely not for the faint of heart. Painting straight white fur is hard enough, but conquering the twists and turns of realistic curly fur is a challenge that can level up your skills as an artist. I’ll share everything I learned while painting this Bichon Frise portrait with all his luscious locks so you can approach your own curly portrait paintings with confidence.

In this painting tutorial, I’ll cover the following topics:

  1. Understanding the Anatomy of Realistic Curly Fur
  2. Choosing the Right Materials
  3. Preparing the Canvas
  4. Sketching the Subject
  5. Laying Down the Base Colors
  6. Building Texture with Layers
  7. Adding Highlights and Shadows
  8. Finishing Touches and Fine Details
  9. Tips on Drying Time

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Why Rembrandt’s Self-Portraits Are More Than Just Artist Selfies

Rembrandt’s self-portraits have been fascinating artists for over 400 years. But, what makes Rembrandt’s self-portraits stand out from the rest? What is it about his paintings that have allowed them to endure the test of time?

Self-portraits have been a prominent part of art history for centuries, with many famous artists throughout history choosing to paint themselves.

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Painting A Sunflower In Oil Using Elements Of Design

Painting a sunflower in oil is a great way to practice your painting skills while being inspired by nature. Today, I will guide you through my process for painting a sunflower in oils incorporating the elements of design. I’ll also give you a supply list, so you can find any necessary supplies you need easily. If you prefer to watch this sunflower come to life on video, this link will open in a separate tab on your desktop.

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How To Paint A Pet Portrait – Limited Palette, Unlimited Possibilities

Pet portraits can be a big challenge for artists. In this article, I’ll take you through my step-by-step process for painting a realistic pet portrait using only four colors. Using a limited palette helps to eliminate some of the headaches while painting. This pet portrait is in oil, but I’ve used the same approach in acrylics and even while painting digitally.

I’ll begin with a quick overview highlighting the main steps. I’ve expanded the section on detail (step 10), giving extra tips.

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10 Essential Steps For Landscape Painting In Oil

Are you ready to take your landscape painting skills to the next level? In this tutorial, you’ll discover essential techniques and tips that both beginner and experienced artists can use for creating stunning landscape paintings.

In this tutorial, I will go through my 10 step process of painting a landscape in oils, from prepping the canvas to sketching out the composition and adding the finishing touches. So get out your paints and brushes, because we’re about to get creative.

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Check out my latest interview with VoyageKC

I was contacted recently by VoyageKC Magazine to give an interview in their Rising Stars series. VoyageKC’s focus is to shine a spotlight on Kansas City’s local artists, small business owners and entrepreneurs and I feel very fortunate to be included.

Shelley Hanna pictured in her art studio

The interview includes my background as an artist, the challenges I’ve faced and the things that matter the most to me. It also showcases some of my portrait work. So if you would like to know more about my story, feel free to check out the link below. And if you are here to learn a little more about how I do

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Painting Wrinkles And Grey Hair – 12 Tips & Tricks

Painting wrinkles and grey hair have their own unique challenges. I’ve loved drawing and painting wrinkles ever since I was a kid. The more wrinkles, the better as far as I was concerned. Wrinkles add a lot of interest and character to a portrait.

painting wrinkles and grey hair article title graphic showing a man with grey hair and grey beard

In my portrait painting tips article, I gave a basic 3 step process for painting wrinkles. In this article, I’ll go over 12 tips for painting wrinkles and grey hair including how to think about wrinkles in a different way. If you are intimidated about painting wrinkles,

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Is Digital Painting Real Art? Thoughts From An Oil Painter.

Graphic title slide showing a hand holding a stylus and a painting in vibrant colors of a portrait of a woman. Text reads Is Digital Art Real Art?

Digital painting – is real art or not? I’ve struggled with this question ever since I picked up a tablet and started painting digitally. Through the years, I’ve created art by making real, tangible pieces with paint on canvas that I can hold in my hands. Real art could only be made with real art supplies – not pixels, right?

After having done both traditional and digital painting, I think the answer is that as far as talent and creating a work of art in today’s world, digital painting is “real” art. If you are only measuring digital art based on it taking on a form that is handcrafted with a variety of materials, then no, it doesn’t qualify as “real” art. But is that second sentence true or is it just a perception? To find out, I’ll explore the definition of fine art, the biases in art, art-shaming and

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What Is Alla Prima? All Your Questions Answered

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One thing that I’ve learned in doing oil painting is there are a lot of terms such as alla prima that can be a little confusing. It was a term being thrown around by other painters I knew and I had no clue what it meant.

alla prima title2

I have a clearer picture now but I thought I’d dive in a little deeper so I could answer any questions you may have.

First of all, the term alla prima is taken from the Italian phrase “at first attempt” and is a painting technique done in one layer in one sitting. The approach takes advantage of spontaneity and the artist must use their skill and intuition to match colors and value.

That seems simple enough, but there are a lot of other questions I had about this method of painting which I will share below.

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How To Paint A Senior Dog Portrait – Tips & Tricks

A senior dog portrait painting has a few unique challenges. But these sweet older faces are so rewarding to paint for a variety of reasons.

Senior Dog Portrait Title

When painting portraits of older people, you need to take into account how to paint wrinkles, grey hair and changing facial features. When you paint a senior dog portrait, having a plan for painting the white fur on their face as well as the changing skin on their nose can make your portrait a success.

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