Painting Realistic Fur

Do a background colour for each section of the animal. When that's dry, start painting the fur using a filbert rake brush and thinned paint. Use short brush strokes, painting in the direction the fur would grow (imagine how the fur would lie if you were petting the animal) and starting at the hair roots. Work your way from the tail and feet towards the head. Each new layer or row of fur will overlap the previous one.
Tip from: Blackstoneca.

Animal hair painting can present a problem. Albrecht Dürer painted a rabbit in watercolor that stands as a demonstration of how-to-do-it. The easy answer is dry brush. Use a damp spiky brush to delicately transfer light parallel lines. Some people use scratch board to scrape back to a white ground. Look at how it has been done before, experiment and do your own version.
Tip from: Jon Rader Jarvis

Submit Your Own Painting Tip:
Got a great painting tip to share with other artists? Use this easy form to send it in: Submit a Painting Tip Form

More Painting Tips:

Acrylics

Oils

Pastels

Watercolours

Figure Painting

Colour Mixing

Composition

Inspiration and Creativity

Fur Painting

Framing

General Painting Tips