Welcome to Day 5, the Final Lesson of the Animal Character Mini-Course!

I hope this mini-course has inspired you and sparked some imaginative animal characters for your future projects.

Here’s a quick recap of what we've accomplished so far:

• Day 1: We started by drawing a series of birds from a simple egg shape.
• Day 2: We learned how to transition from observation to imagination.
• Day 3: We explored different head shapes and facial features for our characters.
• Day 4: We tapped into our unique style using the “Sketch-Design-Repeat” process.
• Day 5: Today, we’ll be adding colour and our own artistic flair—let’s dive in!

 Today’s Task: Follow along as I show you how to trace and then add colour to your favorite animal characters!

What You Will Need: Use whatever art supplies you have on hand—this lesson is all about having fun and exploring your artistic style. Here’s what I’ll be using:

• Winsor and Newton watercolours – Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Lemon, Rose Madder, Cobalt Turquoise, Paynes Gray, and Emerald Green.
• Set of 12 watercolour pencils (Faber Castell or Staedtler Aquarell)
• Number 6 and 8 round sable brushes (for larger areas) and a number 4 sable brush for details. 
• Quality 250-300gsm watercolour paper is advisable.

Let’s dive in, have fun, and create animal characters with your own artistic flair!

Happy painting!

Nina

PS – I’d love to see your animal characters! Be sure to share with me by tagging me on Instagram @ninarycroft and hashtagging #ninarycroft