Now I start painting in the spot pattern on the sides of the giraffe. Remember that I kind of arbitrarily chose my own pattern based on what I’d researched as well as what I thought looked good.
Face spots
Some interesting details are how the inside of the ears look painted. I had to go really dark inside, then blend my way lighter as I came out iof the ear. When I applied the latex caulk, I had tried to comb it in such a way that it looked like the fur was oriented linearly coming out of the ear. Once the paint was applied, it had a very pleasing, natural look.
Ear canal details
Backing away, you can see how the pattering for the rest of the whole side looks. I think it has a pretty natural feel and I like the reddish tint that the spots have. All in all, I think the effect is quite pleasing.
Side patterning
My kids thought these colors looked good on the side too, but I asked them what they thought of the idea of making the spots multi-colored! Oh well, maybe I’ll do that if I do another one.
Next time I’ll show some details on the face. These details really add the final touches to the look and realism of the giraffe. What have you noticed that is cool about a giraffe’s eyes?
