A red fox sits half-turned in low light, its brush curled around its feet, the background dissolving into a hazy blue-green wood. The russet of the coat glows against those cooler tones, which is the whole trick of the picture. It is a quieter, slightly folkloric image rather than a wildlife photograph, and it suits a bedroom, a reading corner or a snug where you want something warm without it shouting. Warm against cool The interest here is in the collision between two temperature ranges. The fox is built from oranges, rusts and burnt siennas, and everything behind it is muted teal, sage and grey-blue. Painting the background first and the fox second is unusually satisfying, because the moment the first rust tone goes down against those cool greens the animal jumps forward off the canvas. The white chest, the black stockings on the legs and the white tip of the tail are the three small areas that need care, and they are what stop a fox reading as a generic orange dog. Level, timing and colour tier Ten to fourteen hours at 40x50cm. It is a fair first step up from a purely beginner design without being taxing, so it slots between our easy kits and the intermediate range. The 36-colour tier is right for it. The extra pots go almost entirely into the background haze, which is what creates the depth behind the animal. Which size Upright, with the fox filling most of the frame. It scales down more gracefully than most animal designs because the shapes are broad, so even 30x40cm holds up well. 40x50cm remains the most popular choice. A few pointers Thin the background colours very slightly with water so they stay soft and slightly translucent, and keep the fox colours at full strength. That contrast in opacity does as much work as the colour difference. Paint the whiskers and the fine hairs on the ear edges last, using the tip of the fine brush and barely any paint. If you are new to acrylics, the beginner's guide explains thinning properly, and there is more woodland wildlife in animals.
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