I’ve wanted to paint a fox for a while and then I came across a very nice photo of a fox on Instagram, made by @jorendejager. This Dutch photographer allowed me to use his photo, thanks!

There are many things to tell about the fox. For example, did you know that it is actually a loner, both male and female? Only when they have youngsters they do live together and form exemplary parents. When the youngsters have ‘flew out’, they go their separate ways again.

The fox is actually a canine, but in many ways is more like a cat. For example, they have vertical pupils and can see well in the dark. But they also have retractable nails and are very good at climbing trees.

They can produce up to 40 different sounds. To sound an alarm, call their peers and also to show off to the females. The most famous is a loud scream.

For centuries, the fox has been portrayed as a clever, cunning and deceitful animal that exploits the weaknesses of other animals. A very famous story is that of Reynaert the Fox (from the Middle Ages) who snatches cheese from a crow by flattering him for his beautiful song that he loves to hear. When the crow starts singing, the cheese falls out of the crow’s beak and the fox runs with it. But in reality, the fox does not appear to be smarter or more cunning than any other animal.

Reference photo: jorendejager on Instagram (Recommended)

Cotman watercolours tubes, Faber Castel Polychromos & Pastel pencils, Posca felt tip pen on Saunders Waterford 300gsm 310×230 Cotton Satiné High White paper

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