Foxes have an endearing charm that makes them great painting subjects. I recommend looking for reference photos of foxes before you sketch or paint a fox.
Also, you may learn the finest methods for painting these sneaky critters by watching tutorials and examples online.
The best way to draw a fox is to begin by sketching an oval for the head and a line for the body. Add two triangular-shaped ears to the top of the head. Next, draw in whiskers on each side of the face. To create the facial features, add two small circles for the eyes and a tiny triangle for the nose.
Use curved lines to draw a bushy tail extending from the back of the body. Highlight its stance, posture, and other physical characteristics. Use short, curved lines to create fur all along the length of your fox, and make it more appealing by adding details.
Table of Contents
How I Paint a Fox With Gouache (or Acrylic)
Easy fox painting anyone can do with acrylics or gouache in just 15-25 minutes.
Total Time: 15 minutes
Step 1 – Sketch a fox
Sketching the fox is very easy. Start with a line that goes from the nose down along the back. Then add the front line – from nose to paws. Add the tail and details like eyes and ears.
Step 2 – Color the fur
Pick the orange color and paint the fur, except for the chest, end of the tail, and lower part of the legs.
Step 3 – Paint the ears
Mix in a little bit of brown in your orange and paint the ears. They are darker than other parts of the fox body.
Step 4 – Paint the white fur
Paper in sketchbooks and watercolor paper is rarely bright white, thus I’m painting the chest and tail end with some titanium white. I erased the sketch prior to painting white so the pencil’s marks won’t be visible if anything.
Step 5 – Paint the legs and paws
Legs, nose, mouth, and eyes are black. Use a detailed brush to color the legs and add details.
Step 6 – Add details
I’m adding very light grey along the chest and tail end to make the white pop even more. I added some light grey to the legs also, to blend white and black.
With a detailed brush, I also added some fur to white and orange body parts to make the fox cuter.
Lastly, with the same orange-brown I used for ears, I added some shade on the back of the fox and on the bottom.
You can add scenery around 🙂
Done!
Here is also a video of the process:
here are some more ideas on how to draw and paint a fox from other talented painters:
How Do You Draw a Fox?
Medium: Pencils
Level: Intermediate
Start with basic shapes, such as circles, to outline the fox’s head and body. Next, you can add other details like the ears, legs, and tail.
After completing the outline, add details such as the eyes and nose, and define the shape of the head and legs. Finally, complete your work by drawing the fur and shading it.
Main supplies:
- Pencil
- White paper
How to Paint a Fox (Easy)
Medium: Acrylic paint
Level: Beginner
After sketching the fox, make sure to create brush strokes that go toward the fur to create the texture of the fur.
You’ll only need warm colors and some white and black paint to make this painting. Remember to add details like the whiskers to complete your work.
Main supplies:
- Acrylic paint
- Canvas
- Paintbrush
Read also: How to Use Acrylic Paint: 3 Easy Steps To Paint With Acrylics On Canvas
How to Paint a Fox Using Acrylic
Medium: Acrylic paint
Level: Advanced
If you want to paint a picture of a fox, this tutorial shows you exactly how to do it. The details are amazing, and the artist makes it look so easy. Just be careful in your brush strokes when painting fur, and always add some highlights and darker areas to make it look realistic.
Main supplies:
- Acrylic paint
- Round canvas
- Paintbrush
Easy Acrylic Fox Painting
Medium: Acrylic paint
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
An easy way to paint a fox is by using its silhouette to paint a scenery. After making the silhouette, you can use the shape to paint any picture you like
Of course, I recommend using warm colors to complement the fox’s shape with the scenery of your choice. You can also paint the fox itself inside the silhouette if you want.
Main supplies:
- Acrylic paint
- White acrylic painting paper
- Painbrush
How to Paint a Fox on a Rock
Medium: Acrylic paint
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Before you start painting your fox, you need select a rock that has the right form.
Although it’s a hassle to clean up afterward, painting on rocks may help spur your imagination since you can experiment with various shapes and sizes to figure out how to paint them in a limited canvas size.
Main supplies:
- Acrylic paint
- Rock
- Paintbrush
How to Paint a Magical Fox
Medium: Acrylic paint
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Unlike the other tutorials on our list that make use of warm colors, this magical fox painting will use warm shades of blue and purple.
Start using the upper half of the canvas by adding the colors you want to your painting and blending them while trying to create an abstract background of an enchanted forest.
Next, add details of the tree branches, leaves, and the moon. Then, draw the silhouette of our subject, the fox.
Add details and highlights, then continue working on the bottom half of the canvas by using a large brush, stroking downwards to create an effect of a reflection. The results are stunning and give off a whimsical vibe.
Main supplies:
- Acrylic paint
- Sponge
- Canvas
- Paintbrush
How to Paint a Forest Fox
Medium: Acrylic paint
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Make your fox stand out by coloring it with its red colors around a background with muted colors. Black, greys, and whites are all the colors you need to paint this forest scenery. Of course, you can also paint any scenery you want.
Remember that the colors go lighter as the perspective goes closer.
Main supplies:
- Acrylic paint
- White canvas
- Paintbrush
How to Paint a Fox in a Snow
Medium: Acrylic paint
Level: Advanced
Aside from painting a fox in a snow, this tutorial also shows how to color a fox in a dark setting. Start by painting the background, then paint the silhouette.
Afterward, use a round brush to create the fur and snow texture. To keep the winter theme, the artist uses less warm colors.
Once finished, sprinkle some white acrylic paint to make the snow — add some on the fox as well.
Main supplies:
- Acrylic paint
- White canvas
- Spatula
How to Paint a Colorful Fox
Medium: Oil paint, acrylic paint, and marker pens
Level: Beginner
If you want to take a break from a fox’s usual warm color palette, you can try painting a colorful version. While this tutorial describes it as an abstract painting, you can still see the fox’s image with its curved strokes of brown and white paint.
Here, the artist used different types of paint to create a colorful background. While it’s tempting to use many colors, choose a palette with colors that complement each other.
Once you’re happy with your background, paint the fox using soft brush strokes to blend with the colors
Main supplies:
- Acryli paint
- Acrylic fluid paint
- Acrylic gesso board
- Marker pens
- Paintbrush
How to Paint Fox Fur
Medium: Oil paint
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Lose strokes using a large brush is a good way to paint fox fur. Just map the strokes on your canvas, and use shades of browns and reds.
Here, the artist started with a darker color, going to a light color for the details.
You can use different brush types to create different brush strokes for the fur.
And remember to use thin brushes for details, and add dark and white shades to create the shadows and highlights to make it look more realistic.
Main supplies:
- Oil paint
- Paint thinner
- Paintbrush
Painting a Fox in Watercolor
Medium: Watercolor
Level: Beginner
This wet-on-wet watercolor technique is a fun way to paint a fox. I recommend sketching the outline first to guide yourself on where to paint the next areas with a different color.
Once the outline is painted, add in the details and subtle background color to finish your work.
Main supplies:
- Watercolor paint
- Watercolor paper
- Paintbrush
How to Paint a Sleeping Fox
Medium: Watercolor
Level: Intermediate
Using a reference photo and tracing its outlines is an excellent way to practice painting a sleeping fox. Start painting the lighter colors before layering them with darker ones.
Also, leave some parts for the highlights of the fur and shade the different parts with different shades of brown to add texture to your work.
Main supplies:
- Watercolor paint
- Watercolor paper
- Paintbrush
How Do you Paint Cute Foxes?
Medium: Watercolor and pens
Level: Beginner
This tutorial uses three ways to draw cute foxes: sitting, standing, and sleeping. Sketch the outlines first, paint them, and define the lines using pens.
The result is a set of foxes posed differently, which is fun to practice painting and experimenting with different poses.
Main supplies:
- Watercolor paint
- Paintbrush
- Inkpen
- Watercolor paper
How to Paint a Fox Face
Medium: Face paint
Level: Beginner
This is a fantastic idea if you’re just starting out with face painting. You may create a fox mask by using your face as a canvas and applying orange, yellow, black, and white face paint with a sponge.
The area from your forehead to just below your chin is all that has to be painted. Then, you can transform into a fox by adding details to your face with black face paint.
Main supplies:
- Face paint
- Brush
- Sponge
How to Paint a Fox Face for Halloween
Medium: Face paint
Level: Easy
A quick way to paint a fox face mask for Halloween, this tutorial uses only three colors and a sponge to transform yourself during the spooky holiday.
Main supplies:
- Face paint
- Brush
- Sponge
How To Paint a Fox FAQ
How do you paint a fox?
To paint a fox, sketch an outline for the head and a line for the body, and add two triangular-shaped ears to the top of the head.
Then draw curved lines to create the feet and the tail. Paint the outline using colors that reflect those of a real fox—such as oranges and reds for the fur and dark browns or blacks for the facial features.
Then, add the details of the fur and facial features.
How do you paint to make it look like fur?
To paint realistic fur, you must use a combination of brush strokes. Start by using long, sweeping brush strokes to create the fur’s general shape.
Then, use shorter and more varied strokes for the finer details. Finally, paint in subtle highlights and shadows to add depth to your fur painting.
What color is a fox?
A fox typically has reddish-brown fur, lighter-colored fur on its underbelly and a white tip to its tail. Its ears, legs, and muzzle are black. Some foxes also display spots or stripes of different colors.
For painting, the colors usually used are cadmium yellow medium, cadmium red medium, burnt sienna, burnt umber, paynes grey, and
How do you paint fox’s eyes?
To paint a fox’s eyes, you can use a dark color like black or gray.
Next, draw in the eyes using small circles, add detail such as tiny fur strokes around the eyes, and draw a curved line to give the impression of eyelashes.
Finally, use white paint to make the light reflection in each eye.
Wrap Up
Now that you know how to paint foxes, it’s time to put your new skills to the test. Get a brush and some paints and start practicing.
Experiment with different techniques and mediums to find what works best for you. Most of all, have fun and be creative.
With enough practice, you’ll be able to paint any animal you want, and you’ll discover your art style. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll even be able to turn your hobby into a career.
Masha Eretnova, born in 1991, is a Buenos Aires-based certified teacher, artist, and member of the Professional Artist Association with 20+ years of personal painting journey.
She started painting and drawing very early and is now an international abstract artist and educator passionate about acrylic painting, gouache, and crafts.
Her works are part of international exhibitions and contests, including ArtlyMix (Brazil), Al-Tiba 9 (Spain), Exhibizone (Canada), Italy, and many more.
Besides her artistic pursuits, Masha holds a post-grad diploma in Teaching Film Photography and 2 music school diplomas: piano and opera singing.