Sketch and watercolor a pair of rabbits

Dutch bunnies? Yes please! After last spring’s adventures with them, and the requests for more on rabbits a few weeks ago….bunnies are this week’s theme!

I devised a simple (mathematical?) way to sketch rabbits to keep them a bit proportional . . . go try it out and see if it works for you!

Video

Watch the video below or click HERE to view on YouTube.

Sketch

In trying to help you create a rabbit that’s somewhat in proportion, I thought I’d try something – let me know if this helps. Draw a grid, mine is 3×3 but really any size square would work. Divide THAT in half horizontally and vertically. The bodies fill the bottom quarters. Heads are up about 1/3 into the top quarters, with a bit of the heads below the center line. Fill the rest with however much ears your rabbits have. Easy, right?

Paint simpler rabbits, from the back

The back view is much easier than the front – no feet or legs to worry about! Just turn their heads so they’re having a conversation and you’re good to go! Outline it in a pen if desired, and color it with whatever medium you want – just be sure you’re using compatible paper and pens.

I erased over my heavy lines to lighten them, then painted with Daniel Smith watercolors. The brown rabbit is Yellow Ochre with some Transparent Red Oxide – I think I said Burnt sienna in the video, but they’re pretty close so you can easily use either. I added Payne’s Blue Gray to it to dull down the brown, then used PBG for the tails too. Inside the ears I dropped a little Quinacridone Rose and then used a damp brush to blend it.

Paint complex rabbits, from the front

For the adventurous, turn that bunny ’round! Also – use some Rough watercolor paper for more yummy texture.

I used the same colors as on the previous pair, but also added Payne’s Blue Gray to the white areas so they could have some form to them as well. For whiskers on all the bunnies – Pilot Hi-Tec-C is the pen I used. Really thin gel pen and super cheap!

About the upcoming class

The new class will be Level 5 and filled with all kinds of techniques! It’s a rather epic drawing, so be prepared for some time spent! A few things to know:

• I strongly recommend Polychromos due to properties that will make the rocks awesome. You’ll also want a Prismacolor black pencil, and a chartreuse though you could substitute another green, I just liked that one a lot.
• I also recommend getting an 11×14 pad of Stonehenge – you won’t want to be making this drawing small, so you can get all the yummy fur details in!

Supplies

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• Koh-i-noor lead holder
• Staedtler Mars Lead Pointer (no one makes the giant one I have anymore)
• Stillman & Birn Gamma Sketchbook
• Arches Rough Pad
• Whiskers – Pilot Hi-Tec-C 04 Gel Ink Pen, Ultra Fine
• Daniel Smith Watercolors:
  • Yellow Ochre
  • Transparent Red Oxide
  • Payne’s Blue Gray
  • Quinacridone Rose