Quiet Winter · Plate 35 of 45

Musk ox color reference

Ovibos moschatus

The musk ox lives in Arctic Canada and Greenland. Long outer hair hangs almost to the ground over a soft, warm underwool called qiviut. When threatened, a herd stands in a circle with the young in the middle.

Colors to reach for

Use dark brown and black-brown for the long coat, cream for the saddle and lower legs, and tan for the curved horns.

• dark brown
• black
• cream
• tan
• brown

How to color the musk ox, step by step

1. Read the gray shading guide first. It already marks where the musk ox is darkest, so the shadows are mapped before you pick up a pencil.
2. Lay a light first layer of dark brown and black over the largest areas, with soft pressure and small circles, letting the gray show through.
3. Build depth with cream and tan, going over the gray areas a second and third time until they read as shadow and form.
4. Finish with brown for the smallest details and highlights, then step back and compare with the color reference above.

Questions about this page

What colors do I need to color the musk ox?

Start with dark brown, black, cream, tan and brown. Use dark brown and black-brown for the long coat, cream for the saddle and lower legs, and tan for the curved horns.

Where is the musk ox in Quiet Winter?

It is plate 35 of 45 in Quiet Winter. Like every Nibfern drawing it is printed on one side of the page, with a light gray shading guide under the lines and a dotted cut line at the spine.

Can I frame the musk ox page?

Yes. Cut along the dotted line and trim to the corner marks for a 7 x 9 inch print that fits a standard 8 x 10 frame.

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• Red pandaQuiet Winter, plate 38
• Antique wooden sledQuiet Winter, plate 39
• White-tailed deerQuiet Winter, plate 40

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