The endangered mountain hare is a popular subject for artists, a creature steeped in folklore, myth and legend. PENEL KIRK shows you how to paint one in mixed media
Endangered wildlife portraits have formed the bulk of my work over the last couple of years, the sales of which have included a donation to various animal charities and their vital conservation work. The subject of this painting is the mountain hare, which can still be found in the Scottish Highlands and Ireland. Sadly, the latest research suggests that the last surviving population in England’s Peak District is at risk of extinction.
This species of the hare is larger than rabbits but smaller, and with shorter ears, than its cousin the brown hare. As the seasons change so does the colour of the mountain hare’s fur. In the summer, it has a grey-brown coat, making them hard to spot against the moorland heather, while in winter, except for the black on their ears, their fur goes almost completely white, a perfect camouflage in the snow. ▸
1 BACKGROUND TEXTURE
Using a foam brush – a brilliant bit of kit – I put a wash of water onto the paper. Having mixed a shade of green, I use a brush to paint a loose frame for the image, then flick the brush to add a few splats for texture. With a pipette, I run clear water down the paper to create texture and drips, then dry the paper and repeat the process using the liquid pencil.
2 SKETCH
With an HB pencil, I sketch the image of the hare lightly onto the paper, making sure to carefully place it within the loose frame already created. The next step is to make a base layer of colour, using the Green Gold and Brown Ochre watercolour pencils, on the ears and nose. For the darker area under his chin, I use Caput Mortuum Violet which gives a pinkier base tone to his coat. Using a brush, I soften the pencil marks and spread the colour.
3 EYES AND EARS
I draw these using Terracotta and Walnut Brown for the irises and then soften them off with water. Using black for the pupils and lashes creates the first layer on his eyes.
With the Green Gold and Brown Ochre, I draw in fur over the coloured wash, being sure to follow the direction of the hair. The next stage is to use the Walnut Brown and Black to add the much darker contrasting hair on the inside and back of his ears. A Mono Zero Precision Eraser is something I like to use as it’s a great little tool for highlights to blend and lighten areas.
4 BUILDING UP THE LAYERS
Using a pencil, and then water, I add darker tones around the nose. I continue to add fur in layers of pencil strokes using Brown Ochre, Burnt S
