What colors do I need to color the polar bear?

Start with salmon, tan, light brown, pale yellow, cream, sky blue, white, gray and black. Use ivory and pale cream for the fur, soft blue-gray in the shadows, a hint of pale yellow on the back, and black for the nose and eyes.

Where is the polar bear in Quiet Winter?

It is plate 3 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 polar bear 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.

Polar bear as printed in the book: a line drawing with a light gray shading guide — Polar bear, plate 3 of Quiet Winter. Drag across the page to compare the color reference with the drawing as printed.

Polar bear colored in: the finished color reference — Polar bear, plate 3 of Quiet Winter. Drag across the page to compare the color reference with the drawing as printed.

Quiet Winter · Plate 3 of 45

Polar bear color reference

Ursus maritimus

The polar bear lives on Arctic sea ice and hunts mainly seals. Its fur looks white, but each hair is clear and hollow, and the skin underneath is black. It is a strong swimmer and can swim for long distances.

Colors to reach for

The colored plate uses salmon, tan, light brown, pale yellow, cream, sky blue, white, gray and black, shown here in color-wheel order. Match each swatch, light to dark, and let the gray guide show where the deeper shades go.

In nature: Use ivory and pale cream for the fur, soft blue-gray in the shadows, a hint of pale yellow on the back, and black for the nose and eyes.

salmon
tan
light brown
pale yellow
cream
sky blue
white
gray
black

How to color the polar bear, step by step

Read the gray shading guide first. It already marks where the polar bear is darkest, so the shadows are mapped before you pick up a pencil.
Lay a light first layer of salmon and tan over the largest areas, with soft pressure and small circles, letting the gray show through.
Build depth with light brown, pale yellow, cream, sky blue, white and gray, going over the gray areas a second and third time until they read as shadow and form.
Finish with black 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 polar bear?: Start with salmon, tan, light brown, pale yellow, cream, sky blue, white, gray and black. Use ivory and pale cream for the fur, soft blue-gray in the shadows, a hint of pale yellow on the back, and black for the nose and eyes.
Where is the polar bear in Quiet Winter?: It is plate 3 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 polar bear 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.

Buy on Amazon Printables on Etsy Get a free page

This drawing is in the Winter Animals printable set on Etsy (20 drawings), and in the Quiet Winter Complete Set of all 45.

Free printable page

Try a Nibfern page before you buy the book.

Choose the Christmas tree or the polar bear from Quiet Winter, the sea turtle from Quiet Ocean or Night 1 of Nobody Leaves the Ice. You get the pages exactly as they are printed in the book, as a PDF to print at home.

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