Any feedback I would really appreciate. I want to make the cub look more realistic.

It really ain't bad I like it. I would give you advice but I don't have any I'm still trying to make my portraits realistic looking lol

This image is really too small for meaningful critique. Is it this same drawing from your gallery, or a new similar one?

Yes it is the same drawing as the one in my galllery!

Well, animals aren't my personal area of expertise, but one thing that I notice right away is that the outline seems somewhat simplified -- corners rounded over, angles softened, fur smoothed down -- which gives the details inside a kind of "colored in" look. You certainly want to show fur shapes against the background as appropriate. Furthermore, the fur shouldn't be "painted on", but rather the animal itself should seem to be composed of it.

Brenda has some terrific lessons that I think would specifically help you here: for example Jumpin' Jack, Fur on a Form and Detailed Dog Eye. When you get a bit more experience Bill the Cat and Panda the Shih Tzu would be a great next step.

It would have made an excellent postage stamp

Seriously, though, Ernest has given very good advice here. If I can add in one suggestion in support of his comments:



I think these's a lot to be said in favour of plotting out proportions and placements, and getting down the basic shapes first in straight lines, rather than in curves. This forces one to try to see the shapes as runs of straight lines which bend at particular inflection points, rather than as soft "mushy" curves. (Obviously, one then softens things to curves where needed).

This approach can help get the shapes accurate, rather than just getting generic curves. Think about the underlying anatomy, and how in some places bones come close to the surface, while in other places the tissues are soft, and are either slung between bony points (think of it as like drapery, or like a suspension bridge), or stretched under tension.

I'd add that the drawing is pretty good, but could be so much more dynamic and powerful with some relatively minor alterations in approach.


Dave