Definitely the most challenging drawing I’ve done, requiring months of persistence and experimenting trying to get the fluffy fur just right. I started out by drawing the eyes and head, then moved onto the body by building up layers of texture until I got it just as I wanted.
I wanted to draw a rabbit as I sometimes see them on my walks in local woodlands and fields. Actually seeing them can be a rarity, but I often hear them moving in their underground burrow systems (known as ‘warrens’) beneath the forest floors.
Fun fact – rabbits are altricial, which means they’re born hairless, blind and completely reliant on their mothers for the first few weeks of their lives. Mother rabbits will often leave their young in their nests for long stretches to avoid drawing the attention of predators such as foxes, stoats and buzzards. If they get chased, rabbits will run in zigzag patterns to confuse predators, rather than trying to outrun them.
The original drawing is available to buy at Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge, hand signed and locally framed in oak.