To be able to draw like this woman is my ultimate aim in life! From an animation perspective at the moment, the fluidity and sleekness of her cat drawings probably comes from a strong familiarity with the creatures. Having an animal as a pet, and thereby constantly around you must give you an edge when coming to draw their likeness. Especially with animating, I've found that the more you look at the animal the better you can draw it and focus on its muscles and movement.
After all, Da Vinci used to examine cadavers to understand the human body more and how it moved/supported itself. I'm not saying I fancy cutting open an animal to understand its structure better but familiarity is definitely key.
So, and ode to Nicola Bayley and her beautiful illustrations. Her brushwork is so delicate, nearly pointillist in style that it truly reflects fur and textures to a tee. These are just a few of my favourites, The Mousehole Cat being a book dear to me since childhood...
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