The intention of these tips on painting black fur is not to provide a quick-fix or formula to painting black fur; there is no such thing. But rather to provide some ideas to try and to refuel your motivation to pursue the challenge.
Painting Black Fur Tip No 9: Don't Despair
Don't kid yourself, painting black fur is tricky -- it's much easier to paint a tabby with wonderful stripes in browns and whites. So don't despair, doubt your ability, and give up. It's something that takes perseverance and persistence. Take a look at how "the experts" have dealt with black fur, ideally by seeing actual paintings but realistically through books such as Painting Wildlife with John Seerey-Lester which includes panthers and gorillas. (Just remember that the paintings are reproduced much smaller than their actual size, which tightens up the detail considerably.)
Painting Black Fur Tip No 10: Try Glazes
If you're simply not getting the results you want, try building up the fur in a series of glazes using the theory that regardless of which colour you start with, by applying 10 others on top you'll end with a rich dark (it's colour mixing on the canvas, rather than colour mixing on a palette). Start by putting down a few broad, very fluid (watery) glazes following the form of the animal and direction of fur growth -- make sure each is dry before you apply the next. Then start glazing with a thinner brush, working more precisely and with less fluid paint. Each glaze will darken what's already there. Finish by applying one uniform glaze over the whole painting, then adding in a few final lines of fur in the deepest shadow areas with paint straight from the tube.
