Need help with a Black Panther

Ok, I've got a teenager wanting me to paint him for a basketball game. I'm not sure how to do a boyish black panther. He did say he wanted green eyes.

I was thinking an open mouth with teeth, but I have no clue how to do the eyes when a panther is all black. I don't want it to look cartoony or girly. Should I add ears? Should I do it mostly gray with black and white accent? Or should I make it blue and black? I do have silver, too. How do I make the muzzle not so black.

Please tell me someone here has done a black panther

This may be my hardest face, yet

Hmmmm... that is a toughy!

I know that black jaguars actually do have the same markings as normal jaguars, but you just can't seem them very well. So if you do a matte black face and add metallic black jaguar spots, that might look pretty cool. I'd also do some light accents in white - whiskers, maybe some tufts of fur around the eyebrows.

I wouldn't do ears... it might come off looking as a black bear instead of a jaguar.

Could you do the eyes on top of his eyelids?

Yes, I was thinking about doing the eyes on the eyelids, but just trying to figure out how to go about it with black fur. I'm afraid it will look like pacman eyes. I wish his mascot was a tiger! LOL

Anyone have some really cool eyes on the eyelids?

I thought about using one of my BAM stencils to add texture maybe in silver. I know when you look at a real one, you can see black spots in the black fur.

This one is a real brain teaser

I have never painted one before. However, black panthers are kind of greyish brown in the muzzle area, then black.

I would do the muzzle, the nose, and the forehead in a greyish brown...maybe add a bit of silver too. Then do black around it and blend in the black from all sides, so that it is darker around the edges and progressively gets lighter as it goes towards the nose. If you add black leopard spots over this, then they will be noticeable on the grey/brown/silver part.

Great idea! I might even do some metallic purple/wine instead of brown to add some dimension. Thank you

oooh...the metallic purple is a great idea. Definitely post pictures of the design when it is done. Can't wait to see it.

Did a black cat for Halloween that I was pretty pleased with. Black starblend for base then different shades of gray, black, and metallic black with a rake brush. Just a few white hairs as well. Radiate strokes outward from center of face like the way the fur would lie. Think the metallic purple would look awesome BTW

This is so much help! I will post pics tomorrow evening! He's bringing a girl, too. I'm not sure if she's wanting a cat, but a girly face would be sooo much easier. I'm thinking lots of glitter and some rhinestones. Can't forget my Suzy Sparkles glitter gel, too

I have a little rake brush with 3 tips. Wishing it was bigger now. What other brushes will work for fur?

Think it was either Linda or Denise (may be wrong) who said to get your "worst" brush and smash it in your palm then use it for fur. I took a one inch brush that I didn't care for and gave it a "hair cut" - made a large rake brush from that. The Wolfe brothers (in their books) say to drag a sponge (kinda dry paint) for fur effects.

I made a rake brush that I really love for grass and pine needles and it works really well very dry for fur.

Here's the panda thread:
http://www.facepaintforum.com/t5878p30-panda-tastic

Here's the picture that shows the brush I made. I took the ugly brush and turned the scissors toward it (parallel) and started cutting into it until it got rough. Then I fanned it out by squeezing the bristles and cut out any chunky bits left over. I'll have to give it the Shannon treatment with black nail polish because I really like it.



I think It was Susan Billings that uses smushed brushes.

You are probably right on the author of the "smushed" brush notion. I have read so many posts that it is hard for my old (and menopausal) brain to hang on to some of the info much less the author! I'm glad I'm not the only one savage enough to take scissors to a blah brush to turn it into a beaut!

I have several "rake" brushes from AC Moore. I originally bought them for acrylic decorative painting... but they are for the same purpose in both mediums; fur, foliage effects, etc.

Well, he walks through the door and says he's changed his mind to Jean Simmons! LOL Ugg! I will say it was time consuming even though it's just black and white. I was pleased

She wanted cat scratches on her eyes. It's basically tiger stripes. Not much of a challenge.

They will probably be back in a week or two for another big game so maybe then I'll get to do the panther!