Isla – A Lilac Burmese Cat Painting – Commission

Isla is certainly a beautiful cat but she is also a very tricky cat to paint. Lilac is a colour that can vary wildly in different lighting conditions, from warm lilacs and pinks, through creamy colours to greys and even blues.

Isla
16×12 Oil on canvas
SOLD

She’s sitting on a warm, cream, sheepskin blanket with a lovely orangey tiger stripes backdrop behind her. All in all a lovely colour challenge.

I built her coat up slowly, painting many different layers over a period of several days. Some areas are warmer and some cooler and her fur shines in the light too. I took my time and let the painting develop slowly. It’s easy to get carried away and make a disastrous colour choice, especially when the colour and tones are subtle and complex. Much better to do it slowly.