Wildlife Painting Basics: Deer, Antelope & Other Hooved Animals [Paperback]

Cynthie Fisher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2001

Designed for beginning wildlife painters, this invaluable guide provides instruction that starts by elaborating on the important differences between various animals of a common "family." Fisher builds up the instruction starting with understanding the differences between the various animals that the book covers. Successive chapters focus on anatomy, showing action and typical behaviors, creating the right habitat for the animal, painting realistic colors and textures and tips on composition. Finally, all of these techniques are brought together in a complete painting demonstration. Throughout, step-by-step mini demos facilitate the artist's comprehension and mastery of the technique. Cynthie Fisher has been a full-time wildlife artist for 12 years, and the winner of six state duck stamp contests. She is a member of the Society of Animal Artists and has designed three different series of collector plates.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Cynthie Fisher brings her passions for zoology, taxidermy, and big game and bird hunting to her book about how to paint deer, elk, moose, and other hooved animals. After a brief introduction to materials, Fisher suggests sources for study and emphasizes the need for sketching: "The number one piece of advice is sketch, sketch, sketch! If you can create a good representation of an animal through your own observation and freehand talent, there is no limit to the creativity and enjoyment you can derive from painting." An anatomy primer examines a selection of popular species and describes how hooved animals are built. The bulk of the book zeroes in on specific species: white-tailed deer; mule deer; elk; moose, caribou, sheep and antelope; and other hooved animals. Each of these chapters includes brief painting demonstrations. The final chapter illustrates how to create finished paintings in acrylic and includes two complete step-by-step demonstrations of whitetails in a forest and elk in the snow. Fisher possesses an impressive mastery of her subject, and her paintings sometimes resemble photographs in vividness of detail and natural light. From the majestic golden curves of a Marco Polo sheep's horns against a steep snow-covered mountainside to the bold stripes of zebras set amidst a shimmering yellow plain, Fisher brings the drama, nobility, and grace of hooved animals exquisitely to life. --Mary Ribeski

From Library Journal

The books in this North Light series fill an important niche in wildlife painting, but they vary in usefulness. Johnson, a professional artist for a dozen years, proves an excellent teacher. Her firm grasp of structure and anatomy brings to life deer, elk, moose, caribou, sheep, and antelope. Her use only of acrylics may limit the appeal of the book, and it may need to be supplemented by books like Doug Lindstrand's Drawing Big Game: An Artist's Reference Guide to the North's Great Animals (reviewed below) and Rod Lawrence's Painting Wildlife Textures Step by Step (LJ 3/15/97). Lawrence, a professional artist with many prestigious awards to his credit, has become one of the better instructors of wildlife art. His Wildlife Painting Basics: Waterfowl & Wading Birds is a visually sumptuous book that covers body shapes, proportions, and anatomy in detail. Demonstrating in watercolors, acrylics, and oils, Lawrence poses his subjects standing, walking, swimming, feeding, or flying. Good sections on painting plumage and background flora round out the volume. A recommended purchase as an addition to the author's more general Painting Wildlife Textures Step by Step (North Light, 1997).
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581800215
• ISBN-13: 978-1581800210
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 6.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,116,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For any wanna-be wildlife painter, January 17, 2002

By 

hamsterdance (TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wildlife Painting Basics: Deer, Antelope & Other Hooved Animals (Paperback)

This is a great book to use for anyone interested in wildlife painting, specifically hooved animals such as deer, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, zebras, etc. Obligatory information such as surfaces, grounds, brushes, acrylic paints and gathering reference material is provided. Each animal gets its own chapter and each chapter follows a standard format. First, anatomy and how to sketch the featured animal is shown, then mini-demonstrations that show close ups of key features such as the head, neck, eyes, legs, etc.

The format of each demonstration is clean and easy to follow. There are numerous reference photos of the various animals as well as photos of the painting process. The close-ups of painting things such as fur and antlers is particularly helpful. The final chapters show step-by-step demonstrations of the environment as well as the animals and the author supplies ideas for how to compose your own original paintings from reference material. I would like to mention that although the author uses acrylic these painting techniques work just as well for other types of opaque paints. Even though I use acrylic paints myself I plan to use these techniques for some wildlife paintings using casein as well. The only painting media I use that might need other techniques than those demonstrated here are watercolor and pastels. Overall, an excellent book for any beginning wildlife painters reference shelf.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent review material, September 16, 2008

By 

Bridget Forestcats "norwegies" (Montclair, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wildlife Painting Basics: Deer, Antelope & Other Hooved Animals (Paperback)

Thorough explanation of each species without becoming a text book. This is not going to be a step by step copy and voila you are an 'artist'. It does explain the physical traits, gives drawn examples of anatomy in different lighting conditions and will be all the reference you may need to complete your project.

I used this to make a deer quilt commision and have been very happy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wildlife Painting, November 3, 2006

By 

Hiram Joseph "pastelpusher" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wildlife Painting Basics: Deer, Antelope & Other Hooved Animals (Paperback)

The author is extremely knowledgeable about deer and antelope. She breaks down the bone and muscle structure so that the artist may show the animals in any pose and be accurate. My wildlife paintings are more realistic now that I have intimate knowledge of the muscle structure underneath the skin and fur.