Red Devon Cow

This is a British breed of cow, the Red Devon.

I was asked to illustrate this beast by a wildlife organisation who use it to graze their heathland nature reserve.

Working with watercolours into the thick and rich reds and oranges of her fur was wonderful. I build the texture up with lots of tiny brush strokes and layers of watercolour wash.

I never know what expression the animals I paint will have until I'm finished with the illustration. In this case, I rather enjoy the look of resignation she's wearing.