Lion

There is nothing quite like painting a lion. The mane alone is a massive undertaking but it is also the most satisfying part — all those flowing tones from deep brown through to golden amber.

I worked in acrylics building the mane up layer by layer. The trick is getting the depth right so it does not look flat. Each strand catches the light differently and you have to suggest that movement and volume without painting every single hair.

The expression was really important to me. I wanted a calm powerful look rather than a roaring one — that quiet confidence that lions have when they are just sitting and surveying their territory.