Hi, I’m Taru – Wildlife & Nature Artist Open to Critique”

Welcome in!! 😊

Taru, your drive to deepen realism in feathers and fur really speaks to your commitment as a wildlife artist. Pushing for critiques shows true professionalism and a growth mindset that galleries respect. That peaceful Buddha imagery alongside wild animals introduces a unique narrative thread worth exploring in your portfolio’s story.

Nice to have you here, Tara! Your animal drawing skills are awesome as is the way you infuse each individual personality. I especially love the majesty and detail of the elephant and how the subtle ground emphasizes more the dust resulting from the enormouse weight of the elephant plodding through the dirt! Wonderful effect! The fawn is lovely, as are the birds, although I might suggest #1) SHADOWS: On all of them, you've got a nice early start on shading, especially the form shadows underneath the bodies, and you have a small form shadows around the bodies (outside edges) to convey shape and depth, but the form seems to end at those shadows, making them look flat in the end. I'm thinking you might need to add a slightly lighter form shadow on the outside of that edge shadow you have to convey reflected light. Think of it like braking in a car. You don't push the brake to the floor and just end there, but actually slightly lift up on your foot to make it a more gradual landing so your passengers don't lurch forward. Same principle. Your work would also feel more grounded with a cast shadow....shadow not on the form itself but cast on the ground or grass or branch, etc. (You have a slight bit under the one foot of the elephant.). #2). BACKGROUND: I agree with Patrick. Your beautifully rendered animals need a setting, unless you're going for an Audobahn/Field Guide study. There is a delicate balance of too little and too much......just enough to ground your animal so that it's not floating nor competing with it. and lastly #3) DETAIL: The beauty of colored pencil is that you have the capability of the finest detail that painters can't always render. The elephant is the best I think, and the fawn is super close!! The birds' downey feathers are close, but you'll need to do that painstaking work of each line inside each of the flight feathers and that piercing stare of the eye (a little more shading and contrast and pinpricks of light). I hope these are helpful! Again, your drawings are LOVELY and are on their way there, with just a bit of fine tuning! I wish I could draw animals as accurately as you do with such feeling! Alas, I have my own schtick!

Welcome Taru. Colored pencil wildlife work is one of those mediums where the gap between good and extraordinary comes down to texture work. The fact that you already know you want to push realism in fur and feathers tells me you are on the right track. One thing I would focus on is backgrounds — a lot of wildlife colored pencil artists leave them too clean or too busy. Finding that middle ground where the background serves the subject without competing with it is what makes work feel gallery ready.

Welcome!