My Inspiration for this 8×8″ Soft Pastel Painting Titled: “Majestic Red Fox”
The red fox was an easy choice for me to paint as the first subject in my “Colorado Wildlife” series of art. I’ve always appreciated the beauty of the red fox, and this majestic animal reminds me of when my husband and I first moved to Palmer Lake – a small foothills town between Denver and Colorado Springs.
Read and see photos below of how this red fox painting came to life. I show you my technique, artist tools and beginning, middle and ending stages of the fox painting.
“I felt lucky to be able to watch these beautiful red foxes hunt mice and rabbits in our yard, and I learned that they marked their territory to keep the coyotes away.”
After we bought our house in Palmer Lake, in the early mornings I would sometimes see three foxes in my yard at one time. They were marking their territory on my newly planted flowers. At first I wanted to chase them away, but then my anger turned into wonder as I got to watch these incredible animals prance around my yard.
The foxes would hunt for the mice that made their home in the large temporary wood pile created from our recently dismantled deck. On a few lucky (or unlucky) occasions I witnessed a rabbit being chased by a fox at high speeds across the driveway. We would also see kit foxes play in the culverts under our street.
“The red fox’s awe-inspiring colors changed the plan for my ‘Colorado Wildlife’ animal series from charcoal drawings to soft pastel paintings.”
My original plan was to draw a series of “Colorado Wildlife” animals in black and white charcoal (see my black and white black bear charcoal drawing). However, since the red fox was my first subject, I just had to draw it in color. Its fluffy, vibrant orange fur inspired me to draw the red fox in soft pastels and learn as I go. If I liked the process of drawing with pastels (some artists call it painting) I would continue this “Colorado Wildlife” animals series in pastels as well.
“This red fox motivated me to teach myself how to paint with soft pastels.”
I’ve used soft pastels (essentially colored chalk) only one time before to add some some light-orange fur to a black and white charcoal drawing for a commissioned pet portrait of a german shepherd from Michigan named Dexter.
This time I planned to use soft pastels for all the fur for this red fox. I would use black and white charcoal pencils for the white and black details of the face, including its shiny black nose and black whiskers.
One Last Step – Make the Fox Brighter and More Colorful!
The fox on the left, below, looks pretty good. I decided to pump it up with more color and more contrast, to really capture that dramatic look of the red fox. Soft pastels allow you to add lighter colors on top of dark colors, so I was able to accomplish this last step pretty easily. I learned that creating many layers is ok, and even helpful, in making a bright pastel painting.
“Majestic Red Fox” – Original Artwork and Fine Art Prints for Sale by Colorado Artist
If you enjoy watching the red fox as much as I do, consider buying the original pastel painting or even a fine art print so you can look at its inspiring beauty every day!
Click here to see if the original artwork, “Majestic Red Fox”, is still for sale. You can buy the original artwork by itself, or you can buy customized framing for this original artwork, which I offer at a competitive price.
A limited number of fine art giclee prints in various sizes are also for sale in watercolor paper or canvas prints. My fine art prints are archive quality, signed and numbered. All artwork comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Stay Tuned for My Second Animal in this Soft Pastel Painting/Drawing Series: “Colorado Wildlife”
- “Mountain Goat on Loveland Pass”