Animals have many different fur types and skin textures. This gallery explores these different fur types and skin textures of mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish and how they can be portrayed in paintings, drawings, engravings, and other mediums.
Spitz Dog, Thomas Gainsborough RA, 1727–1788, British, ca. 1765, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
Blue & Yellow Maccaw, after Edward Lear, 1812–1888, British, unknown artist, nineteenth century, 1832, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
"Blue and Yellow Maccaw" depicts a Maccaw. The artist focused heavily on vivid colors of the bird and the details of its feathers - how soft they feel in one area and how they are ragged in another.
Fish, Xu Jian Bai, unknown, From the collection of: Museum of Contemporary Art, China Art Academy
"Fish" depicts multiple fish in water. The artist used a variety of brush strokes to create both the scales and shine of the fish to show where they are scaled and where they are smooth.
Sciurus cinereus. Linn. Gmel. Cat Squirrel. Natural Size., John James Audubon, 1843, From the collection of: Amon Carter Museum of American Art
"Sciurus cinereus. Linn. Gmel. Cat Squirrel. Natural Size" depicts three squirrels. The textures of the squirrels (and the tree) are prominent. The squirrels appear soft against the rough branches.
"Hare" depicts a rabbit. The texture of the fur was drawn very delicately in order to portray furry and smooth areas of the rabbit. There is also much detail in the shiny and smoothness of its eyes.
The Bird of Washington, or Great American Sea Eagle. Falco washingtoniensis Male, John James Audubon, 1827, From the collection of: Amon Carter Museum of American Art
"The Bird of Washington, or Great American Sea Eagle" depicts an eagle on a rock. The texture of the bird's soft feathers are the most prominent, but the details of its rough talons are also notable.
Cornelis Visscher, The Large Cat, an engraving, 1657/1657, From the collection of: British Museum
"Cornelis Visscher, The Large Cat" depicts a cat. This piece is actually an engraving, which is composed of intricate lines to create soft fur textures as well as a tabby pattern on the cat.
The Hawks-bill Turtle (Testudo caretta), Mark Catesby, published 1731-1743, From the collection of: National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
"The Hawks-bill Turtle" depicts a turtle. It is engraved on paper to create texture on the turtle's shell and skin, and then colored to give its pattern a more realistic look and imaginative feel.
Head of a Grey Arabian Horse, Martin Theodore Ward, 1799–1874, British, between 1820 and 1830, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
"Head of a Grey Arabian Horse" depicts a horse. The artist made light and dark shades on the horse to show the smoothness of its fur. There are also light, flowing strokes to show the horse's mane.
Ostrich, Tom Mboya, From the collection of: GoDown Arts Centre
"Ostrich" depicts an ostrich. Ostriches have soft feathers that tend to go which-ways. The artist demonstrates the feathers with many brush strokes going different directions on the ostrich's head.
Credits: All media
This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
