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Author: Zara Toms

How to blend acrylics

Posted on by Zara Toms
Blending acrylics can be tricky due to the faster drying time but there are 2 must have art supplies that can make this process much easier! I have a voice over tutorial on YouTube showing how the combination of these two cheap tools can not only be used to blend large areas like bokeh backgrounds but also for blending fur. Maybe there is a part of the reference photo where the fur is soft and ou...
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How to draw fur in graphite | Top tips, techniques & materials

Posted on by Zara Toms
How to draw fur in graphite | Top tips, techniques & materials In my first voice over graphite YouTube tutorial (click the photo thumbnail to watch). I'll share the process I used to draw a black Labrador. Drawing black, shiny fur like all other fur textures is all in the layering process. The way to build depth gradually with a range of techniques to get the most out of the supplies. This gr...
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Meet Dexter

Posted on by Zara Toms
Dexter I recently had the pleasure of drawing this gorgeous Border Collie. If you follow me on social media you'll know that black fur is one of my favourite fur colours to draw. I love how it requires multiple layers, focusing on contrast and using colours like blues and purple to enhance the fur even further. If you'd like to read a few of my top tips for drawing realistic black fur scroll down...
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How to paint a Jack Russell in acrylics

Posted on by Zara Toms
Painting a Jack Russell in acrylics My latest YouTube tutorial shows how I painted this Jack Russell. I recently uploaded another Jack Russell tutorial to YouTube but that was a smoother coat whereas this tutorial shows how I layer for more of the wirehaired, coarser fur texture.  If you'd like to see both fur types, click the picture of the dog you'd like to watch and you'll be taken to th...
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Meet Rex

Posted on by Zara Toms
A very special Staffordshire Bull Terrier I recently had the pleasure of painting Rex this gorgeous, smiley Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Sadly, Rex had a terrible start in life. He was subjected to the horrendous world of dog fighting. Not all these kinds of stories end well but for Rex he was one of the lucky ones. Being adopted by a dog trainer who has literally turned Rex's life around....
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Buster the Bulldog

Posted on by Zara Toms
Buster A few weeks ago I shared a work in progress update of Buster the Bulldog. I loved working on his portrait. It was my largest pet portrait to date and it enabled me to add even more detail achieving more realism. This has certainly encouraged me to draw more larger wildlife projects which will feature in tutorials on Patreon. I'm planning on uploading a series of tutorials showing various ...
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HOW TO PAINT WHITE FUR IN ACRYLICS

Posted on by Zara Toms
TOP TIPS FOR PAINTING SHORT, WHITE FUR. My latest full length tutorial in acrylics on Patreon was of a white Bulldog. I had a couple of requests for tutorials on short fur and then another on white fur so I thought I'd combine the two for this one. When I was looking for the reference photo for this tutorial I wanted a dog which was entirely white. No other colour so that I could focus on all par...
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BUSTER THE BULLDOG!

Posted on by Zara Toms
I currently have the largest pet portrait on my easel I've been asked to do to date! I am LOVING working on such a large scale. It's allowing me to add so much more details and achieve far more realism than I've created before. Due to that I'm going to be planning some larger portraits for upcoming tutorials on Patreon :). Showing the tips and techniques I use to take your artwork to the next leve...
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HOW TO PAINT FUR IN ACRYLICS

Posted on by Zara Toms
10 TOP TIPS FOR PAINTING FUR IN ACRYLICS A couple of weeks ago I shared my top tips for drawing fur with pastels. Well, this week it's in acrylics. All of these tips are what I use when creating any of my pet portraits or wildlife paintings. These tips can make a huge difference in the depth created within the fur and therefore the realism of the overall piece.  If you'd like to see this vi...
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