How to Draw a "Kitsune"

Enjoy this tutorial from Elizabeth Vuong. You can see more of her work on her blog, NESTINGZONE!


Materials used:

• Copic Multiliner SP (0.1mm, 0.25mm, 0.35mm, 0.5mm)
• Copic Ciao (100, B000, B60, B93, BG01, BG23, BV02, 
• BV31, BV25, BV29, C-2, C-3, C-5, C-7, E08,  E40,  E93,  G94, W-2, RV95, W-1)
• Strathmore 300 Series Bristol paper (Smooth)
• Chartpak Pickett Circle template
• Eraser
• Mechanical Pencil

"Kitsune" means fox in Japanese. It is also a common subject in anime. Foxes are depicted as intelligent beings that possess magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. While in most folklore kitsune’s are known for their tricks, they can also be faithful guardians and friends. For this video, I wanted to start a new series highlighting the beguiling aspects of my Kitsune. In most folklore, foxes are seen in a negative light, but I wanted to shift how they are viewed in the world. Instead of turning the other way due to a negative omen, you should use their power to approach negativity with grace and strength.

 

To begin, I sketched out my fox's face, surrounded with other flora and fauna elements on tracing paper. I wanted to make him appear as though he was blooming from the environment. By focusing only on the face, it also allows a larger gamut of emotions to pour into the character of the animal, which varies from person to person.

 

After I was happy with my sketch, I transferred it to a smooth 8”x 10” piece of paper. Any smooth and silky surface is ideal for Copic Multiliner SP's: the smoother the surface, the more it showcases the fluidity of the ink and the sharpness of the nibs.  In this video, I also used Copic Ciao's. They are my marker of choice and help to add more depth and dimension to my tight line work. This drawing could have gone without the coloring but hey, we all deserve some color here and there. With that in mind, I didn't want any tones that would overshadow my line-work and stippling, so I chose a more subdued color pallet to ensure the boldness of the pen-work would still shine through.

 

I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this! You can purchase prints of this Kitsune and many more on my SOCIETY6! Also, thank you to the kind folks at Copic for making this project happen, so please hop on over to their site and check out some of their wondrous art supplies!