Lion and cub under the tree

An adult lion and a small cub sit and stand together beneath a spreading tree. Layered mane locks, branching bark, grass and distant hills make this playful imagined grassland a richer alternative to the open standing lion.

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How much detail?

The mane, bark lines, grass tips and small leaf clusters add fine work around broader animal bodies and sky spaces. About the labels.

Try this palette: Shaded grassland

Give the pair related coat colors, keep the cub slightly lighter, and let a cooler tree color separate the background from the mane.

A small coloring tip

Fine pencils suit the mane locks, tree branches and grass tips; use lighter layers across the open bodies.

Repeat one soft mane color in a distant hill to connect the lions with their imagined home.