Black cat, black cat!

[lethargicpoison]

I'm doing a rather large painting of my cat for my parents.  And...she's black.  I'm not too good with animal fur, so I was wondering, which brushes do you use? Rounds, or angles, or what?  And if anyone has any tutorials they've found, I would be forever grateful!!!!

Thanks so much!

(Dunno if this matters so much, but the painting's to be done in acrylic)

[karmickaboom]

Painting fur is about capturing the way light hits it. It isn't so much about a special brush. Look at your reference and paint the lights and darks accordingly...on a black cat they are fewer but more dramatic.

[lethargicpoison]

Thanks much! ^___^

[JillBoBill]

Also, keep away from black paint - haha, I know!

Black is a dead negative on a canvas. Try using colors like Prussian blue and deep, dark browns to get the message across. Also, keep in mind that it's contrast that makes darks look darker. For instance, a blob of black will look blacker against white; a blob of white will also look less brilliant against a pale background.

It's all about how you control your values.

[Riechan]

You can also use a black background and paint all the lighter parts of your cat.
It'll give your painting something extra!!
Use light blue, different kinds of grey, brown colours so it comes out very well.
It's also a nice technique to use with pastel.

[CowgirlArtist]

I like to ad some light blue when I paint things that are black..