How To Draw A Raccoon With Ink Liners - The Virtual Instructor

I divide the tail into alternating light-and-dark sections. It is supposed that this tail coloring also helps raccoons to identify each other.

I refine the general contour of the body. To accent the unique feel of the texture, I go over the lines with a series of pencil hatches that imitate hairs.

I add some stones, a piece of wood, and plants to complete the underdrawing. The stones differ in size and shape.

A Quick Note on Drawing Fur with Ink

Before we dive into the inking process, let’s take a closer look at the main texture presented in the artwork.

First, we should remember that fur consists of single hairs. They may have different lengths and directions. If we observe this texture in close up, we’ll notice that fur usually has a general direction and rhythm. At the same time, some hairs (or groups of them) may demonstrate a mild deviation from the main flow. Hairs can also overlap each other.

To create a credible illusion of the fur texture, we should convey this flow of hairs and show the overlap. A tonal variation helps to strengthen the effect of depth. It also creates a hint at overlay.

In the image below (a), you’ll find a fur sample. The main direction is diagonal. The hairs go from the upper-left corner to the lower-right one. Some of them are twisting, presenting a variation.

It’s possible to mark out a three-step value scale that forms this sample. The upper hairs or their overlapping fragments are lighter than the hairs beneath. The darkest areas convey the perceived depth and density of the fur.

When we’re drawing an animal in full view, we usually don’t have to focus on single hairs in close-up. It’s quite the opposite. Excessive details of this kind may overload the image with too much visual information.

The best result is achieved when the lines repeat the general flow of fur with minor variations. In the image above (b), you’ll find an illustration of this principle.

Even if there is a high density of ink lines, we still can note tiny gaps of untouched paper. Those gaps give the texture a more natural look. The contrast creates a hint at overlapping hairs and accents the density of the coating.

How to Draw a Raccoon with Ink

You may feel the need to soften the graphite marks with an eraser before applying ink. It’s also possible to remove them at the end of the process. I’m going to leave the pencil marks – they add a pleasant soft undertone.

I cover the eyes with rounded hatches, using the 0.3 liner. The marks repeat the eyes’ contours, accenting the volume of the form. I leave small areas of highlight in the upper parts of each eye.

I draw the dark mask. The lines go from the center of the head to its periphery. I also mark the fur of the ear openings.

I leave the whiskers untouched. If you accidentally draw over the whiskers with ink, don’t worry. It’s possible to recover them later with a white gel pen.

See also: How to Fix Mistakes in a Pen and Ink Drawing

I also mark the darker areas on the raccoon’s body. The lines conform to the fur direction.

I outline the contours of the nose and paws. With long hatches, I create the darker rings of the tail.

The tail provides a hidden challenge, so here are some additional thoughts.

There are areas of light and dark fur that slightly overlap each other. To a certain extent, they even blend into each other on the rings’ edges. Our goal is to convey this effect, avoiding the sharp cutout look.

I keep the middle parts of the black rings as dark and contrasting as possible. Only tiny white gaps are left. They imitate the subtle gloss that natural hair usually has. The edges of each black ring are lighter than the middle part, but the difference is minor.

In other words, I use more ink lines in the middle of each ring and fewer near the edges.

With 0.1 liner, I continue adding lines that imitate fur. The nose bridge is slightly darker than the upper part of the head. With groups of short hatches, I create variation in the texture.

I add hatching to the nose, making its lower part a bit darker than the rest of it. The difference is subtle because a real raccoon’s nose is very dark.

In our drawing, the nose should be approximately as dark as the mask. I add some dots there to create a hint at skin texture.

With ink lines of medium length, I mark the flow of hairs on the body. The density of hatches may vary, creating an effect of spotty, non-uniform fur. I use the 0.1 liner.

I leave shorter lines near the contours of the body. This trick helps to create an illusion that these areas are farther from the viewer.

The outer contours of the raccoon’s head, body, and limbs are created in this sketchy, fur-imitating manner. I don’t recommend using a single continuous line. With furry animals, such an outline will look unnatural.

I add the ink lines to the darker area of the tail that is near the body.

In the image below, you’ll find an enlarged sample of texture from the hip area.

In the same manner, I work on the raccoon’s body. I create tonal variety by making patches of denser ink covering in the fur. The upper part of the body (the back) has a lower density of marks. This difference helps to convey that light that is hitting this area.

Although fur has a noticeable general flow, there is a minor variation within each small area.

When working on the body, I make sure that the whiskers stay uncovered. The fur on the body is relatively dark, so the head contrasts against it.

Let’s work on the paws. They are quite light. However, there is a soft shadowing from the body, and we should keep that in mind.

I use both hatching and stippling to convey the form of the paws. Groups of rounded lines repeat the cross-contours of the limbs’ lower parts. This character of marks helps to create an illusion of volume. I still use 0.1 ink liner.

See also: Cross Contour Lines

And don’t forget to mark the claws!

With 0.05 ink liner, I add the lightest fur of the head and tail. The lines follow in the same direction of the hairs. In the areas of white fur, I leave much of the paper untouched. I use very short marks and dots near the nose.

I also darken the mask and the areas right around the eyes. The eyes’ highlights are too big and bright, so I reduce them.

Also, I darken the fur at the sides of the head to give it more volume.

With 0.1 liner, I outline the contours of the stones and other elements in the lower part of the drawing.