Once a year, I donate one of my paintings to charity. This time it was a painting of Tiger (18" x 24") donated to Aseema Charitable Trust.
Choosing the subject always requires some brainstorming, as my usual themes which are primarily focused on gaming may not resonate with a broader audience.
While I enjoy painting other subjects like landscapes and wildlife, I ultimately decided to create a wildlife piece. A majestic tiger seemed like the perfect choice to capture attention.
Reference
Next, I needed to find a suitable reference image that was free from copyright concerns. I discovered this stunning photo on Pixabay that fit perfectly. Its striking contrast against a black background drew all the focus to the tiger, enhancing its dramatic presence.
The grass and the green reflected light were slightly distracting, hence decided to leave them out from my final painting.
Sketch
Below is my progress of painting from sketch to final painting. The sketch involves getting the outer big shape in place, and then adding in the features, while constantly measuring the distances between key points to get the placements right.
Rendering
The most challenging part was to create believable fur. Using thick paint and pushing the lighter colored parts in to the darks with bristle brushes, created these smudged brush strokes, creating an illusion of fur.
Rendering whiskers was fun, it was achieved by scratching the canvas surface with a blade in few swift strokes.
YOUTUBE Video
Final Painting
Below is the final painting, along with a couple of close up shots.
