How to Draw and Color a Realistic Frog using Copic alcohol markers - Phyllomedusa burmeisteri image

Post by Madeleine Dube

How to Draw Amphibians

1. Identify your Copic Markers color palette

These markers were used in the drawing and colouring of this common walking leaf frog. Y11 Pale Yellow, Y13 Lemon Yellow, YG23 New Leaf, G07 Nile Green, BG09 Blue Green, BG10 Cool Shadow, YR24 Pale Sepia, W1 Warm Gray No.1, W3 Warm Gray No.3, W5 Warm Gray No.5, W7 Warm Gray No.7.

2. Draw the outline of the frog with a light pencil

Pay attention to the size of the head relative to the legs and body.

3. Refine your final outline with an ink pen

Once you are satisfied with the proportion of your initial pencil sketch, finalize it by retracing it with an ink pen. Clean it up and erase the pencil marks.

4. Apply the light skin colors first

Identify the highlights and paler zones on the whole body. Apply initial layers of lemon yellow Y13 and new leaf YG23. You can do one body part at a time.

5. Add depth to the colors of the skin with darker layers

Add successive layers of new leaf YG23 to transition to darker green zones. Use nile green G07 for the zones of the skin showing the deepest greens. Use G07 to create skin texture.

6. Add shadows near the skin contours

Use warm gray no.5 and warm gray no.7 to add successive layers of shadows in the skin folds and near the contours. Use a bit of pale sepia YR24 on the yellow zones to create shadows and texture on the skin highlights.

7. Apply similar color layers to the whole body

Use the same technique for the rest of the body. Start with a pale layer of new leaf YG23, add successive layers of YG23 to build in depth and volume.

8. Add skin textures to the whole body

Use nile green G07 for the zones of the skin with the highest green intensity. Applying successive layers of nile green will create smooth transitions towards darker zones. Blue green BG09 can be used for the zones of the skin showing tints of blue.

9. Apply shadows to the whole body

Use warm gray no.5 and warm gray no.7 to add shadows below the bulging eye and on the main bumps of the head. Go bold to create strong visual impacts.

10. Finalize the white skin zones

Create texture on the white skin zones (belly and fingers) using warm grays and pale sepia. Further work the shadow and contours depth with warm gray no.7.

11. Color the eye and add final touches

Apply an initial layer of pale yellow Y11 on the eye, then add a layer of cool shadow BG10. Create the eye volume by adding shadows with successive layers of warm gray no.1, warm gray no.3, warm gray no.5. Use white gouache to create white highlights on the eye and skin. Use a black marker to add some final black contours marks.