I just released a brand-new YouTube tutorial where I paint a majestic bison in acrylics.
Why This Method Works So Well for Dark, Furry Animals
Bison are basically walking carpets made of shadow and highlight. Trying to paint every strand from scratch is a recipe for burnout. Instead, we cheat (in the best possible way) with layers, values first, color second, and a couple of pro shortcuts.
Step 1: Kill the White Canvas (Do This First)
Acrylics dry fast. If you draw your subject first and then paint the background around it, you’ll get hard, ugly edges and patchy coverage. Paint the background FIRST. It does two magical things:
- Gives you smooth blends while the paint is still wet.
- Removes the terrifying white glow that lies to your eyes and makes every color you add later look richer.
Step 2: The Dark-Animal Transfer Trick
Because this bison is mostly dark brown/black, I only transferred the main outline at the beginning. Then I flooded the entire animal with a deep base coat of dark brown. Once that dried, I laid my drawing back down and transferred all the detailed fur lines on top.
Step 3: Block the Lights with Pure Titanium White
Forget mixing the “perfect” fur color right now. Grab titanium white and paint the texture and details of the fur and eye. The dark base automatically becomes your shadows. Suddenly, you have 3D fur structure with almost no effort.
Step 4: The Glazing Magic (This Is the “Wow” Moment)
Mix your bison colors with water to create a glaze. This is a translucent color that will allow your white highlights to show through, but now with a beautiful, vivid color!
Step 5: Refine – The Stage That Feels Like Cheating
Now grab small brushes and:
- Push highlights brighter
- Deepen shadows
- Scumble and scribble mid-tone fur texture
- Refine details
This is the 20% of the work that delivers 80% of the impact. Thirty minutes of refining can make a painting go from good to “gallery-worthy.”
The Secret Weapon: Smooth Canvas
I painted this entire piece on a Fredrix Watercolor Canvas pad (not sponsored—I bought it myself). Regular canvas often has a pronounced texture that fights you when you’re painting fine fur or need smooth blending. The watercolor canvas is almost like hot-press paper; the paint brush glides beautifully across the surface. No white specks sneaking through the “valleys” of the weave. If you hate fuzzy, rough-looking details, try it once, and you’ll be hooked.
Supplies I Actually Used (amazon affiliate links)
- Fredrix watercolor canvas pad 9×12″ https://amzn.to/4ds35Dc
- My favorite cheap brush set https://amzn.to/44Jj9OD
- Taklon Bristled Brush Set (shown in video) https://amzn.to/4iNQ09y
- Liquitex high gloss varnish https://amzn.to/3no14yG
- Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paints http://amzn.to/2qjrVgU
- Water Well (to clean the brushes) http://amzn.to/2oTlnU7
- Masterson Art Palette http://amzn.to/2oTxccT
- New Wave Glass Palette http://amzn.to/2AXj9KL
- Fine Mist Sprayer https://amzn.to/3wSsj9w
- Tracing paper (any brand, needs to be the size of your canvas)
- Transfer paper in white https://amzn.to/3Tgxp9W
Become an online student and paint this in real time with me! Get access to this and over 400 1-2 hour long tutorials in colored pencil, acrylic painting, oil painting, graphite, watercolor, charcoal, and inktense for as little as $6/month plus other rewards Sign up at http://patreon.com/Lachri
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