How I Paint a Lion in Procreate: My Full Process

Why Procreate for Fine Art?

People expect a "serious" fine artist to work in oils or acrylics. After 35 years across every medium, I chose Procreate for one reason: it gives me complete control at extreme resolution without the physical limitations that disability has placed on my body.

The result is the same — original, hand-painted art. The tool is digital. The craft is entirely human.

Step 1: The Reference and Composition Sketch (45 minutes)

I start with reference photos of real lions — wildlife photography, anatomy studies, lighting references. I am not copying them; I am understanding them. The sketch phase is loose, almost gestural. I am looking for the emotional pose before I worry about anatomy.

"A lion that looks perfect but feels wrong is worse than a lion that feels right but isn't anatomically perfect."

Step 2: Blocking the Base Colors (1 hour)

I lay down large areas of color using a textured brush that simulates bristle drag. Warm ochres and burnt siennas for the mane. Cool blue-greys for shadow areas. At this stage the painting looks almost abstract — flat and raw.

Step 3: Building the Fur Texture (2-3 hours)

This is where the painting becomes mine. I work at 600% zoom, laying individual fur strokes with a custom brush I have refined over years. Each stroke follows the anatomy — the direction the fur actually grows, the way light falls across the structure of the skull.

• Mane: long sweeping strokes with high opacity variation
• Face: short, directional marks around the brow and muzzle
• Eyes: the most critical area — sometimes 90 minutes on eyes alone

Step 4: The Color Pop Layer

My Wildlife Royalty pieces are known for impossible, electric color. After the realistic base is established, I add a layer of chromatic exaggeration — pushing purples into shadows, saturating golds in the light, adding teal accents into the mane. This is where the painting crosses from portrait to artwork.

Step 5: Final Details and Signature

The final hour is about micro-details — individual whiskers, catchlights in the pupils, edge refinements. Then I add my signature and export at 8000×10000px, print-ready at any size.