Have you always wanted to learn how to accurately illustrate leopard print? Well its your lucky day, and you may be surprised to learn that leopard just so happens to be one of the easiest and most foolproof prints to draw and draw well. Being an animal skin, leopard print is organic, some parts are clustered and messy and some are open and spacey. You really can't make a mistake with this one I promise.
1. The first step is to choose your color way, and the three markers you'd like to use for the print. With the lightest one you lay the ground color for the print. I chose a dark tan color, in order to render a more realistic leopard print.
2. Let your base color dry then add a second "coat" in streaky and somewhat rough stripes, one being down the center and then as few or as many as you'd like to each side. This will add depth to the print.
3. Choose a marker that is darker than your ground color and randomly draw comma or kidney shaped "spots" with it, as I've illustrated for you in step three with brown.
4. With your darkest marker (I used black) draw three dashes or kidney shapes of varying lengths surrounding each of the kidney shapes you drew in the step three. Its as though you're messily outlining each spot with three dashes.
5. Add highlights, shadows and any garment design details with your black and white (or white charcoal) pencils. And ta-da! There you will have a classic leopard print.
Its been quite a while since my last Tuesday Tip post, but I figured what better way to get back into the tutorial mode than by showing you how to render this fun and classic print. Since I drew the tutorial in standard leopard colors I thought I should also show how easy it is to use the same steps but with colors that are a little more on-trend. Gray, black and white shown above, is a little more pop and edgy and the purples below are a colorful alternative.
If you're hungry for more you can check out my previous Tuesday Tip
here, and come back next week because I'm working on another one for you. (I promise not to wait almost 2 years for another one this time!)
***I'm also taking suggestions so let me know in the comments section if there's a tip you'd like to see to help improve your fashion illustration skills.
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Loved the tutorial... I am sort of self learning :) and a little bummed by how to illustrate sheer fabric. Hope you do a tutorial on that.
This is a fantastic leopard print "how to" tutorial! This makes it so easy to understand and execute! I am a dedicated follower of yours and will continue to be! Please do not ever stop! You are so talented!
Super tutorial! I'm going to try it. I went to buy me some Copic markers but they're so pricey. Going to buy them from Amazon. :) Thanks for the tutorial.
Thanks everyone!
Mrunmayee, I'll add sheer to the list. And Kristin, I know they're pricey, sorry. So worth it though! Love them.
i got some suggestions :)
- how to draw eyes..
- witch pencils do you use? :)
- how to draw hands and feets
- how to draw shoes :)
i really love your blog! (and i REALLY love tuesday tips :)
xoxo
I would really appreciate it if you could post some more Tuesday Tips? Just every now and then? They are so helpful to me, and I really saw myself getting somewhere, but then you stopped them. I would love to see more! Thankyou xoxoxoxoxox
Your works are amazing! You inspire me in every picture.
I'm Luana a graphic designer based in Italy, here's my blog:
www.luanabcandraw.blogspot.it
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