In this post, we will be adding color and wrapping up our Little Red Riding Hood drawing that was posted just this Monday. If you have not seen the post, here is part one for you to check out. I very highly recommend reading part one before checking out part two, as this will lead to less confusion.
What you will need
- Brush pen
- Micron pen set
- Watercolor set
- Pencil
- Watercolor paper
- Watercolor brush
Working more on the Little Flowers of the Little Red Riding Hood Drawing
Even though all these pretty little flowers are sketched, the centers of the flowers need to be defined and the outside of the petals have to be properly outlined. Use the brush pen to fill in areas with shadow, go around some of the flowers, and shade the centers of the flowers. Fill in the centers of the flowers using the brush pen and leave a little bit of white for a highlight to really make the flowers stand out against the plain background.
Perfecting the Grass on the Other side of the Little Red Riding Hood Drawing
Grass is very easy to draw, but it takes time to lay down every single line. Make a couple of wild flowers on that side of the path, and gently make small lines going sort of in the same direction to represent grass almost pointing to the mouse. This will make the eye look more at the snake and the mouse than the little details in the background.
The Underlayer of the Brick Path
Make some dots with the brush pen all over the stones. This will mark places that will later become little nooks, crannies, and imperfections on the little pathway. You can also start rounding the stones with the brush pen.
Adding Detail to the Stone Path of the Little Red Riding Hood Drawing
Where every dot is, make a sort of jagged slash mark. This will give the impression of a very old and worn path. Continue using micron pens and the brush pen to make the bricks all individual and irregularly cut. Don’t worry about it being perfect, any flaws made here will mostly blend right into the painting.
Adding Scales to the Snake
A snake without scales is just a worm. Make scales in a sort of mermaid style pattern, with seemingly unlimited rows of shifting half oval shapes all on top of each other. For a special touch, darken the scales on the edges of the snake to make it look more rounded and like it is really on the branch instead of being flat. One mistake some people make is they do not logically think of how the scales would lay on a snake, and they put the scales backwards. Be mindful of how the snake is laying on the branch, and maybe even use photos of real snakes to see what they look like to better your art.
Drawing the Mouse’s Clothing
This little mouse has a lovely grey sort of peasant dress outfit complete with a little belt. Mice have very little body shape, so it should be pretty shapeless and hang off of her and onto the ground. If you would like, it can even drape off the path and into the grass in a similar fashion as the cloak.
Adding Details to the Faces
Mice are fuzzy creatures, and therefore Little Red in this case needs to have fine little fur on her head. Fur is drawn similarly to grass, pick up a thin micron pen and start lightly making little lines all the way down her head. Don’t forget to shade in the eyes and draw her little paw on her cloak. The snake’s mask has far less detail, but I chose to add a snake eye inside his mouse mask to represent the fact that he’s evil underneath. His head is supposed to be a real mouse head, so it has stitches holding on the ears and the paws dangling down from his body.
Starting to Add Color to the Little Red Riding Hood Drawing
The point of this project is to use only one color besides black and white throughout the entire piece. Keeping this in mind, fill up the watercolor brush and start adding thin layers of red to the cloak of the mouse. Darken colors as you go, to make the shadows and light in the cloak. Remember the creases, the folds, and the underside of the fabric should all be nice and dark and also blend into the rest of the color. I chose to add a wash of grey to the grass to blend the individual blades all together, and do the same for the other side of the path, with the exemption of a few wild flowers who got a nice light pinkish tone.
Touching up Lines
Wait to make sure that your piece is completely dry before moving on. Next, go back over any lines that you colored over accidentally and fix them up. I also used the brush pen to add these cute little trees in the distance. I also applied some very watery black paint to add the little trees in the very distance.
Finish
And you now have a Little Red Riding Hood Drawing interpreted with a snake and a mouse. Good Luck and Happy Crafting!