Two essential things for painting realistic fur on a cat portrait are to paint the hairs in the direction in which they grow (so from base to tip) and for the fur to be lying in the right direction on every part of the cat's face and body. This is where a fur map for painting a cat comes in handy.
A fur map is a deceptively simple painting tool -- it’s just an indication of which direction a cat’s fur grows in on various parts of the face and body. I say deceptively simple because a fur map is relatively simple to create, but requires self-discipline to use. When you’re busy painting a cat, it’s all too easy to get carried away and not think about the direction the fur should lie and to paint 'generic' fur. All too often, when there’s something not quite working with a cat painting, this is it.
You’re not looking at the markings of an individual cat, or whether the fur is long or short, you’re looking at the overall direction of fur in a particular part of the body or face, which is similar in all cats. (Granted, it’s much harder to tell with a sleek, short-haired cat than a fluffy, long-haired one.) It’s about careful observation -- for example, does the fur on a cat’s nose go towards the ears or down towards the mouth? Does a cat have eyelashes? Which way do the long hairs inside a cat’s ear grow?
Make an outline drawing of a cat, or use a photo (as I've done above), and make a note of all places where the fur changes direction. If in doubt when looking at your photo, go take a look at your cat (not that they'll make it easy!) Then when you start painting the cat portrait, put this fur map in a place you can easily refer to it.
Printable Art Worksheet: Fur Map
