I decided to make another picture of the leopard I had seen in Botswana. The one I had included as a pencil drawing in my book. I watched him jump into a tree to rest languidly wedged between branches. I had plenty of time to study him. I made a couple of very rough sketches to work on back in the studio.

Painting of leopard in tree seen in Botswana, egg tempera

I decided on egg tempera as a medium. This medium has always fascinated me. With an egg yolk and a few small amounts of powdered pigment a painting can be produced that will harden and last for centuries (if desired). It will not fade or yellow with age. This was the main medium used before oil paints were invented. Sadly photographs never pick up is the beautiful luminous quality of this medium, which is built up in thin layers over a board coated in genuine white gesso which shines like light through a painting.