Paul Beattie Fine Art

 This is going to be a painting of an Amur Leopard painted from a photograph I took at The Cat Survival Trust. It is crucial to do an accurate drawing of the portrait if you wish to accomplish a realistic painting.

There are only about 40 pairs of these big cats left in the wild!!

I am using Langton rough 140lb water color paper and Liquitex acrylics. 30x20.5cm or 12x8 inches.

A basic detailed sketch of my Leopard.

Using Payne's Grey I have blocked in the basic background leaving the main trees and Leopard blank.

Bamboo has been suggested in the background with light washes. Ultramarine blue and Cadmium yellow is the main color used. I also added some touches of Yellow Ochre and Titanium white.

 Working and building up the leaves with washes. I have also added some bamboo shoots and the main trees.

Paynes Grey is used to paint in the Leopards markings.

Continuing with the dark markings and building up the form and portrait structure. 

I have created a basic wash of background fur color. A mixture of varying washes of Yellow Ochre, Paynes Grey, Raw Sienna and Titanium White have been used. 

Building up the back ground fur detail using mixtures of Titanium White Raw Sienna and Yellow Ochre. The darker areas are a mixture of Paynes Grey and Titanium White.

I am also correcting some of the markings on this leopard as they were slightly out of place so the odd tweak here and there

 A close up of some detail in the Leopards face.

I have added Chromium Red Oxide to my colors for the fur details. Just tweaking details as I go. The tongue has a light wash with Cadmium red light & Titanium white mixes for the base color with a touch of Napthol crimson.

Finer fur details have been added throughout the portrait along with some whiskers, the eyes and the teeth base color.

I hope you have enjoyed this demonstration and members are welcome to ask any questions on the processes in the forums.