This is a snow leopard that is one of my favorite exhibits. I did a whole series of this particular animal and sold them all in one day at a fair. There is something mysterious about cats whether they are domestic or wild. You can just never tell what they are thinking. Color pencil is a very clean and easily transported media.
Light layering with the color pencil is what gives the illusion of depth and life to a drawing.
I must admit it is always better to render the drawing on site while experiencing the sites, sounds and smells of the day. It seems that it helps to enhance the creative process and you don't have to rely on memory. However if I don't have enough time to render the subject at the Zoo I always carry a camera so I can take lots of photos of the interesting subjects at the Zoo. Then back in my studio I can render the subjects at my leisure. Let's take a closer look at the process of layering.