Follow David Webb's watercolour painting demonstration and learn how to paint a cat sitting in sunlight using just five colours.
Demonstration: Cat in Sunlight
Cat in Light, watercolour on 425gsm Bockingford NOT watercolour paper, (38x28cm)
How to paint a cat in watercolour with David Webb
Equipment
Bockingford 425gsm NOT watercolour paper
Watercolur paints
Large and medium rounds
Mixing palette with large wells
Board
Masking tape
Kitchen towel
2B or 3B pencil
Colours
Ultramarine
Alizarin crimson
Raw sienna
Indian yellow
Burnt sienna
How to paint a sunlit cat using just five colours
1
Tape your paper to your board around all four edges and prop your board up at an angle of 20 degrees to the horizontal.
Carefully sketch the outline, paying special attention to proportions and the angle of the head.
In this painting the cat is strongly backlit, which has created a few highlights; draw these areas carefully, as they will need to be avoided during the painting process.
Top Tip
Make a note of the sun’s direction as it’s important to know where the light is coming from, whatever the subject, so you can tell where light and shade will fall.
2
- Make separate dilutions of your five colours in the mixing wells of your palette.
- Dip a large brush into the raw sienna and, starting at the top of the paper, brush this into the left corner. Work this to the right of the paper then pick up Indian yellow and blend this on the paper while the raw sienna is still wet.
3
- Continue to paint this wash down both sides of the cat.
- For the wash on the cat itself use mainly raw sienna. Note all the highlights here, particularly on the right-hand side of the head and body, and on the tail.
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Top Tip
As you paint down the left side, be aware of the fur and whisker highlights and try to avoid these. Of course, you could use masking fluid here, but you will create a more natural effect with loose brushwork (even if it is a bit clumsy in places).
4
Try to paint the background and cat at the same time, as this wash should all join up again towards the base.
5
Once the first wash is completely dry, begin to paint the mid-toned wash.
Starting in the top-left corner, mix alizarin crimson and ultramarine on the paper and paint this down and around the cat.
Again, be careful to avoid the highlights.
6
Brush burnt sienna into the wash as you move to the right.
7
- Rinse your brush and fade out the wash either side of the cat to create a shaft of sunlight.
- Load your brush with raw sienna and, beginning at the tip of the ear, brush this down over the cat’s head, avoiding the area of the eye.
8
When you reach the cat’s shoulders, change from raw sienna to a mix of ultramarine and burnt sienna. e.
Top Tip
It's best to mix these two on the paper so that you create areas of warm and cool colours.
Most of the lower back is cool as it is in the deepest shade.
9
As you reach the base of the cat, paint the tail then rinse out your brush to fade the wash out to the bottom left.
Allow this wash to dry.
Top Tip
There should not be a hard outline where the cat connects with the floor.
10
Now it’s time to paint the darks.
Use ultramarine mixed with burnt sienna to paint the darker markings on the head and face, making sure to avoid the eye area.
11
- Paint inside the left ear with a mix of alizarin crimson and raw sienna to create the effect of the sun shining through it to make it appear pink.
- Use ultramarine with burnt sienna to create broad shapes across the back and nearside, to create the impression of tabby stripes.
12
Use the same mix for the markings on the tail then add a little more burnt sienna to the paper surface to create the strong, diagonal cast shadow across the floor. The burnt sienna creates a lovely warm glow caused by reflected light.
Top Tip
Again, this wash should be continuous and there should be no obvious line between the cat and the surface that he sits on.
13
Finally, make a strong mix of ultramarine and burnt sienna and, with a smaller brush, paint the details around the eye, the iris and the lines on his left cheek.
The finished painting
Cat in Light, watercolour on 425gsm Bockingford NOT watercolour paper, (38x28cm)
Now try painting a cat portrait in watercolour with Liz Chaderton.
Discover fun ideas for drawing and painting cats with Linda Birch.
Top Tip
If you have done it right, the cat should appear as if he is sitting in a shaft of sunlight. If not, then have another go!
Studio members have access to the whole Leisure Painter 2018 series of watercolour painting demonstrations by David and much more with a digital archive of Leisure Painter and The Artist magazines going back over more than six years. Discover Studio here.
Find out more about David and his work by visiting www.davidwebbart.co.uk
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