Animals In Acrylic

Instead of tackling a single wildlife portrait, Hashim Akib reveals how a more complicated group of animals offers the chance for a more painterly approach

- Hashim Akib

Hashim's materials

•Paints

Azo Yellow Lemon, Azo Yellow Medium, Azo Orange, Pyrrole Red, Primary Magenta, Quinacridone Rose, Ultramarine Violet, Permanent Blue Violet, Sky Blue Light, Brilliant Blue, Cobalt Blue (Ultramarine), Phthalo Blue, Greenish Blue, Prussian Blue (Phthalo), Permanent Green Light, Phthalo Green, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Warm Grey and Titanium White, all Amsterdam Standard acrylics

•Brushes

Daler-Rowney Skyflow large flat brushes, sizes 1/2”, 1”, 1.5” and 2”

•Support

Stretched cotton canvas, 60x75cm

•White plastic mixing tray

•Kitchen roll

•Water pot

When it comes to painting animals, it’s common for artists to go for a photographic likeness,perhaps with a heavy helping of cuteness. It’s worth considering a few other options before you start your next wildlife painting to help it stand out from the crowd.

For starters, avoid obsessing over the source image and allow yourself to break free by using colours or marks more expressively. This reflects the wildness of the subject matter and adds a creative twist.

Try looking for patterns – these might be interesting shapes or colours, you might look at how repetitive these are, or focus on the effects of light and dark.

In simple terms, look at everything other than how detailed the reference material is. Drawing and proportions are vital when it comes to adding naturalism but best tempered by some self-expression.

For this exercise, I will be talking you through how I painted a group of flamingos in acrylics, going through the various challenges and choices made.