bren reads to the raccoon

An anthropomorphic coyote reading a book at night in a forest clearing illuminated by a hanging lantern, with a teapot and cup on a blanket, and a small raccoon nearby, surrounded by moss, trees, and spirits.

This was a piece for a client who has developed their own character of an anthropomorphic coyote. They wanted a depiction of their character on an adventure in the woods with a friendly raccoon.

the process

step 1: Ideation and sketching

I had a general sense of this character from my client, but I wanted to make sure I had a solid understanding of this character: his look, his garb, his general aesthetic.

So I took to pencil and paper and did some exploratory sketches. I send these over to my client and got the thumbs up that this was the right direction. I even added a little sketch of a fluffy raccoon.

Sketches of an anthropomorphic coyote, with detailed facial expressions.

step 2: thumbnails

I made three thumbnails in pencil and sent them to the client. They ended up choosing the second option, with the character reading at a little camp in the forest.

A pencil sketch of a young boy riding a dinosaur in a forest, surrounded by trees and plants.
A pencil sketch depicting a person with a dog sitting on their lap, surrounded by trees and plants.
A pencil sketch of two puppies sitting under a tree, with a small lamp, an umbrella, and some rocks around them.

step 3: tight sketch

I had my thumbnail, so I decided to digitally draw over it and create a more atmospheric value study. After that, I made four color comps and the client chose one. From there, I created a tighter digital sketch in color, which would become my reference for the acrylic final.

A black-and-white illustration of an anthropomorphic fox in pajamas sitting in a forest clearing at night, reading a book under a lantern, with a small dog lying next to him. There is a tent, a teapot, and a mug nearby, and the scene is illuminated by lantern light.
An animated illustration of a cat and a fox sitting in a forest at night. The cat is reading a book, wearing a green coat and a yellow scarf. The fox is sitting beside the cat on the ground. There is a small tent, a teapot, and a mug nearby. A lantern hangs from a pole, illuminating the scene, with glowing fireflies and mysterious glowing eyes in the dark forest creating a magical atmosphere.
A fox and a dog sitting by a campfire reading a book in a forest at night, with tents and string lights nearby.
An illustrated scene of two mice sitting outdoors at night, one reading a book, with a tent and a lantern nearby, surrounded by forest foliage and soft glowing lights.
An anthropomorphic feline dressed in a red cloak and blue pants sits outdoors at night, reading a book. Next to it is a small squirrel, and background features a lit lantern on a tree and a small tent with a kettle, surrounded by fireflies.
A feline humanoid dressed in green reading a book by lantern light while sitting next to a raccoon, in a forest at night with a tent and glowing fireflies.

step 4: line drawing

With my digital sketch finished, I was ready to move back to traditional media.

Right before locking in the drawing, the client requested the raccoon wear a jaunty Robin Hood style hat, which I was able to add on.

I printed the sketch out and did a graphite transfer to a piece of illustration board. Then I went over all my lines with technical pen so they would show up well through acrylic washes.

A line art drawing of an anthropomorphic fox reading a book while sitting on the ground in a magical forest, with a little rabbit sitting nearby. The scene includes a stream, a tent, and various trees with detailed branches and leaves. A lantern hangs from a tree, and a teapot with a cup are placed nearby on the ground.

step 5: paint

With the line drawing done, I completed a monochrome pass using only black paint, then covered the whole thing in a burnt sienna wash to unify the values. After that it was just a matter of building the actual painting up, working background to foreground, and using some gouache in an airbrush to achieve a halo of light around the lantern.

Illustration of a cat with glasses sitting in a forest, reading a book, surrounded by camping supplies and a glowing lantern hanging from a tree branch.
An illustrated scene of a lynx reading a book while sitting on a rock in a forest at night, illuminated by a lantern hanging from a tree branch. There is a teepee with a leopard-print teapot and a cup nearby.
A fantasy illustration of a humanoid cat wearing glasses and reading a book while sitting by a campfire in a forest at night. There is a raccoon nearby and a tent set up in the background. The scene is illuminated by a lantern hanging from a tree and glowing fireflies.