I don’t know why, but I can’t paint or draw animals in their natural colors. I could tell you some hooey like, “I see their true colors, so that’s what I must paint.” The truth is more like, “This is fun!” It’s fun to flip the palette from the natural colors as I see them and decide on what colors can be highlights and shadows once I eliminate white and black as options. Changing the colors eliminates the need for strict realism, and it helps me look more at the shapes. And it’s fun!

Don’t be afraid to play with new colors and ideas. Stretch your brain a bit and see where your imagination will run. It’ll be fun!