Welcome to my stop on the Sunny Studios Stamps bloghop!! Mendi’s celebrating the 8th birthday of her business baby and I’m so proud of her!!
In honor of her milestone, I’ve got some fun ahead for which I hope no one needs a wintry coat or scarf like I did – but Holiday Hugs Stamps will be used to make a chilly snowy card perfect for a winter celebration card! 🙂
Tutorial: Coloring fuzzy white polar bear fur
The first few seconds are jarring…watch out! ha!
Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully!
Bear coloring
Start with marker, add pencil, then soften with marker, then more pencil as needed – layer away! The secret to getting it to look fuzzy is partially in leaving tufts of fur white (see above the eyes, top of the head and ears, lighter snout…) in comparison to the other greys. The PUNCH of color in the reddish dark color will make all that grey start to look lighter, along with that dark nose and eyes.
Colors
Colors used include these Sketchmarkers, and a Prismacolor 936 bluish gray color, and a Polychromos 133.
Contrasting background
Creating a big dark shape for all that white fur to bounce off of gives two benefits – “hiding” the lighter stamped line, and all that dark value lightens everything else. Then the white gouache snow also has something to show up on that’s dark enough.
Around the eedges of the bear, pencil only went so far in creating a soft edge – a little gouache also helped whiten places where the stamp line still showed.
Something to hold, no masking!
Then it’s a matter of what your bear will hold, if anything! I hadn’t thought about it in time, but you could take these easy steps to stamp it without ANY masking:
- Stamp the cupcake or other item to be held. No masking.
- Stamp the bear so that the paws cross over the cupcake.
- Definitely color nice dark mittens before coloring the cupcake. That will cover the light stamp lines of the cupcake.
- Color the cupcake richly enough to cover the scarf stamp lines. Either dark colors, or add glossy accents and glitter as shown here.
- Then color the scarf and bear.
Something to hold, the way I did it
Since I hadn’t thought of what I’d put in his paws, here’s my steps:
- Color the bear, adding mittens.
- Stamp and color the cupcake or other object and fussy cut.
- With an xacto knife, slice around the top side of the mittens. You might need to curve around to the bottom depending on the size of what’s being tucked in.
- Put a little dimensional adhesive on the back of the cupcake and tuck it in.
- Add glossy accents and glitter!
My glitter problems of the past stemmed from sending cards overseas to heroes in war zones; glitter gets all over everything, as we all know, and it gets on them when they get something from us too! And glitter can make them visible to the enemy’s night vision goggles. If you send anything to a hero serving abroad, be respectful of your desire for twinkle and shimmer, and settle for the simple pretty shine of something like glossy accents alone – that won’t twinkle in enemy gunsights. 🙂
Bloghop sale, prizes, & hop links
Supplies
Some product may be provided by manufacturers for review and use. Compensated affiliate links are here at no cost to you. I appreciate your support of my work with your purchases! Full affiliate and product disclosure | My trusted partners in art
- Sunny Studio Stamps Holiday Hugs Stamps
- Fadeout No Line Ink, Ink On 3
- Sketchmarker Brush Pro Alcohol
- Sketchmarker hex chart
- Neenah Cardstock, Solar White 250pk
- Prismacolor pencils
- Prismacolor Hex Chart
- Polychromos Pencils
- Polychromos Hex Chart
- Daniel Smith White Gouache
- Glossy Accents
- Hero Arts Glitttterrrrrrr
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47 Comments
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Such a cute card Sandy! I love the fuzziness of the bear. It really does make him more of a real bear. Glitter is lovely to add sparkle to cards, but I only use glitter CS where the glitter is sealed into the card or glitter glue where it cannot come off. Don’t use loose glitter at all anymore. Trying to figure out a way to dispose of what I already had.
WOW Sandy, so artistic and for someone who is still learning I greatly appreciate your Instructions in description and understanding! Especially with things like masking etc
Thank you for your beautiful work!
Amazing card. Love how you coloured the bear!
This card is amazing! Your coloring is always just stunning!
What a cute bear. Love your card
Wonderful artwork.
Love how you coloured the bear! awesome talent!
This is brilliant Sandy … and it’s winter here in australia so I’m feeling nice and cozy with that fuzzy polar bear!
LOL – I LOVE glitter; I just don’t like to use it! I keep trying different things to get the look without the craftermath. So far, the best solution I’ve found is Diamond Stickles. Super cute card – that’s a great stamp set with a lot of possibilities.
Your card is super amazing! I do not use glitter- messy and not good for environment. Thank you very much for the video and how you made your card! So detailed and appreciated!
Love your bear. Great info and details. Thank you!
So fun!!
awesome video – love all the fuzzyiness – Congrats on 10 years – love to see you create
oooh love the fuzzy texture you created on your bear – so realistic
Your art is always stunning. But this bear’s fur looks so realistic it’s amazing. And I love that you shared a no masking technique because I’m not great at masking. So double thanks… thanks for the tip and thanks for sharing you inspiration.
Wow! You’ve made this polar bear come to life with your gorgeous coloring.
Phenomenal as always. All the texture you’re able to get onto that polar bear is amazing. He looks so fuzzy and soft.
Glitter is not my friend and I don’t use it on my cards. The coloring on your fuzzy bear is wonderful.
As always, your artwork is amazing! I’m always taken back when I see your work. So very talented!
Your card is so sweet! Beautiful coloring!
Love this sweet bear with the cupcake! Awesome coloring and an adorable card!
I love the look of glitter, but I hate the mess I make when using it! Sticks to everything!
So challenging to color a polar bear well! Great job! I did not realize what you said about glitter and cards to the Military. I have not sent many and do not use a lot of glitter but I am glad I am aware of it now so thank you for that heads up. Beautiful card!
This bear is so lovely!
Your bear is so cute…. love it….I have a love/hate relationship with glitter….. I love it on my cards but hate in all over me….LOL
Thank you for showing us how you colored light color fur on this bear!
Love the coloring, great fuzzy sweater!
Very cute and thanks for sharing how you make realistic fur. I like to use Stickles instead of loose glitter although my granddaughter loves using regular glitter and my craft room shows it after she has been over!
I’m not a glitter person but I will use the smooth glitter cardstock.
An incredible amount of information in this video. I watched it twice already and will watch it again and again. I learned so much from it. Now I need to make a polar bear! And I can make him furry! So many details here that are so valuable.
Wow! Your coloring is amazing as always! So realistic!
Your coloring is amazing – as always! That bear really looks huggable! I always learn a lot from you every time I watch one of your videos!
I love your fuzzy bear! What an incredible technique! You are an inspirational artist. I know, I took a class from you many years ago. Thank you.
I almost always regret using loose glitter for the mess it leaves behind! Wink of Stella glitter pens are my go to.
Beautiful polar bear!
Such a gorgeous work of art!!
Way too cute. Great shading.
I like how you made the polar bear fuzzy. He looks great.
I adore your fuzzy bear!
Truly beautiful-speechless
What a fun way to color the bear
Wow! The way you did the fur is amazing! I LOVE THIS BEAR!
Wow, Sandy you never disappoint! Thanks for sharing your tips on coloring fuzzy things such as this adorable Sunny Studios bear. I love it!! Love the stamp set too.
Not a bit glitter fan. I use glitter in glue or a gen pen. The bear looks so real! I will check your video out later today.
Awesome card, great idea to keep the bear white.
I love glitter; in very small amounts. I only love white or iridescent though. Somehow colored makes me think of Vegas and Elvis impersonators. I am a diehard fan of everything Allnock….thank you for sharing your God given talent with us. Forever a fan and forever watching.
I love glitter but for the same reason you mention hardly ever use it unless it is a piece of Cardstock with no risk of sheffing glitter when Cut. My DH one year received a card with glitter and handled it before going to work. He was the joke og the Day because he touched his face without knowing snd was MR Glitter all Day. Tried to wash it of at work but only managed to spread it even more. That shows you how it sticks to Human skin.
Oh my!
Sandy, you are SO super talented! I LOVE the look of glitter and used to use it all the time. But since moving to Florida, I have learned the side effects of glitter on marine lif, so I’ve given it up, and balloons too! I try to find other ways to make cards shiny.
Oh wow I hadn’t thought about !!!! Keep them safe❤️