This was painted live in Youtube
Whispers of the Savannah: The Art of Animal Paintings in Soft Pastels
The moment I laid eyes on the lion’s photograph, I knew this painting would be different. There was something in his gaze—wise, powerful, yet calm—that demanded to be captured, not just in color, but in soul. With a deep breath, I reached for my soft pastels, ready to bring this magnificent creature to life.
I started with a simple sketch, light strokes mapping out the proud structure of his face. His eyes—piercing and golden—became my anchor. If I could get those right, everything else would fall into place.
With my fingers dusted in warm ochres and deep umbers, I built the foundation of his fur. The soft pastels melted into the paper like sun-kissed earth, their pigment rich and vibrant. I worked from dark to light, layering burnt sienna and hints of crimson into the shadows of his mane, feeling the energy of the wild flow through each stroke.
The mane itself was a challenge—chaotic yet graceful. I let my pastels dance, flicking upward in bold strokes of caramel and deep chestnut, mimicking the way the wind might tousle his fur in the heart of the savannah. With every layer, his presence became stronger, his roar almost audible in the silence of my studio.
And then, the eyes.
Using golden yellows and warm ambers, I shaped their depth, adding the smallest touch of white for that spark of life. They stared back at me now, intense and unwavering. A shiver ran down my spine—he was watching. He was alive.
For a moment, I hesitated. Was it done? Could I add more? I softened the highlights on his nose, defined the whiskers with a pastel pencil, and deepened the shadows under his jaw.
Then, I stepped back.
There he was—majestic, untamed, eternal.
I set my pastels down, my fingers stained with the colors of the wild. The lion’s spirit was no longer just in the photograph. It was here, on my canvas, in my hands, in the very air around me.
And that, I realized, was the magic of animal paintings—not just capturing their form, but their very essence.