Blog March '25 - cow and calf

A Pastel drawing based on Pan Pastel and pastel pencils.

As soon as we are in the month of March, we already think of spring with its fresh colours.

The trees and bushes welcome their first leaves and crocuses and daffodils that show their heads everywhere. 

During a nice walk in the forest, my husband was able to capture this beautiful photo of a cow with her newborn calf. Here I have taken a beautiful moment to draw.

The fur of the calf's head is drawn in a base of 270.5 Yellow Ochre mixed with 740.3 Burnt Sienna from Pan Pastel, in combination with pastel pencils in soft pink, ochre and various earth tones. To obtain a nice transition of these tones, I use a medium-sized stump. The fur consists of small lines that are hatched in the direction of the hairs of the fur.

The coat of the cow has a base of 100.5 Titanium white, 840.8 Paynes Grey and 780.1 Raw Umber Ex.Dark from Pan Pastel.

The coat has different shades of grey in it, just as the shadows are a combination of earth, grey and pink shades.

Just after the birth of a calf, the cow will lick the newborn calf, the coat of the body and buttocks looked light and pink, so I used both 380.8 Red Iron Oxide and 740.8 Burnt Sienna as a base. Shadows and highlights are the same shades as in the head of the calf.

Das Fell des Kuhfells hat eine Basis aus 100,5 Titanium White, 840,8 Paynes Grey und 780,1 Raw Umber Ex.Dark von Pan Pastel.