How I Color Fur

...and a bit on other textures, like the tongue, nose, and the eyes. I felt like including that, too, even though this is supposed to be a fur tutorial...

This is a traditional tutorial, meaning I did this using pencils.

Since it was requested by numerous people, ( and some who just plain asked me how I do fur ), I made this tutorial for them. Well, it's more of a 'how I color' sort of deal, explaining how I go about working on my realism. I don't explain technique very well.

Sometimes I change the way I color slightly on every drawing. It depends on the fur colors. I started on the eye for this, to make it easier to understand. Be aware that I might not be using this technique months from now, since I've found my coloring technique changes quite a bit over time.

Sorry if there are any grammar issues--I didn't really pay attention to that. I might go back and edit if something really bugs me.

NOTE: There are NO tricks to coloring fur. There's no secret to it. It's a load of practice, patience, layers, and expirimenting. This is also just the way I do fur. There are many, many ways to go about coloring fur, and there isn't a wrong or right way. I found this method by goofing around, using different colors, and trying out different techniques.

I'm not so sure if this tutorial can apply to other colored pencil brands, since Prismacolors are wax-based, not clay, like most cheaper pencils are.

I forgot to add what I used to draw this, so I'll put that here.
Prismacolor pencils
Verithin pencils - the lead is harder than regular Prismas, allowing for nice detailing.
Kneaded eraser - I make a mess, and this is great for picking up pencil bits. It's also useful for erasing sketch marks.
Sharpener - Always keep your pencils sharp. I'm guilty of coloring until it's down to the wood, but if you want good fur, sharpen like crazy. *Is lazy.*
Mechanical pencil - I either sketch where shadows/highlights go with this, or I use Verithins.
Bristol board - I prefer smooth. I like this kind of paper since it blends nice and it can take a lot of abuse, in my opinion. You may find a different paper works better for you.

Omg. The preview image is disgusting.

I have the finished piece in my gallery. You can view it here.

The images in this tutorial are © me.

If you find this tutorial helpful, let me know! Feel free to bookmark it/fav/share it!