Let’s talk about creating realistic black curly fur using coloured pencils. Do you struggle to draw realistic looking curls that look soft and fluffy? Do they end up looking a bit flat or perhaps like spaghetti? Well the good news is you don’t need to worry because I have some tips!

For this project I used dark grey Pastelmat and a variety of pencils including Black Polychromos, Dark Indigo Polychromos, Warm Gray 2 Polychromos, Pablo Cocoa, Polychromos Paynes Grey, Pablo Light Grey, and Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle White.

I started by using the black Polychromos to plot out the darkest areas, always following the direction of the hair. Then, I came in with the white Pablo to add highlights over the black. The Pains Grey was perfect for building those midtones between the dark and light areas. To get even darker darks, I incorporated the Dark Indigo, and for some warmer tones, I reached for the Pablo Cocoa.

As I worked, I kept adding dense highlights to really start shaping the fur. It’s important to remember that it will look terrible for a while – don’t let that discourage you! Keep at it, intensifying the dark areas with the black Polychromos and creating shapes to add smaller details.

One trick I love is adding stray hairs early on with the light grey Pablo and Museum Aquarelle white. It really helps make the fur look more real and gives you more opportunities to create interesting shapes.

Throughout the process, I used light pressure, only pressing harder for very dark areas. I also prefer using a blunter pencil rather than a sharp one. It allows more pigment to be laid down and is softer on the paper.

As I continued working, I kept darkening and defining the curls, refining and adding final touches. The goal isn’t to exactly replicate the photograph, but to capture the look and feel of the fur.

Layering colours is key to creating depth and realism. And here’s a pro tip: choose your paper colour to give you a head start. I used dark grey for this dark fur, but I’d use white paper for white fur.

Remember, it’s all about building up those layers and choosing the right pencils to achieve a smooth, realistic result on the Pastelmat paper. With patience and practice, you’ll be creating fur that looks so real, you’ll want to reach out and touch it!

If you’d like to watch how I do this, make sure to watch the video at the top of this blog. You can also follow me on social media @bonnysnowdonacademy and stay up to date with what I’m working on, hear regular tips and techniques, and get regular coloured pencil inspiration!