80 designs

Therian Mask Ideas to Draw Before You Paint

Three mask designs a press, each with its colours and where the paint and felt go.

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Cheek tufts cut from zigzag feltThree or four pointed pieces on each side, the longest at the bottom, sticking out past the rim.
Black cat with one white whisker padBlack all over, then a single white pad on one side. Whisker dots in black on the white.
Ginger cat with darker ginger stripesTwo oranges only. Stripe the brow and cheeks in the deeper one and keep the chin pale.

Next step Cat breeds and poses to draw Whiskers and noses in face paint

All 80 designs

Foxes, wolves and dogs 18

African wild dog in black, yellow and white patches Blotches with no two alike, and a black muzzle that shades to brown on the cheeks and forehead.
Arctic fox in summer brown Brown on the brow and nose, lighter brown to cream at the sides. Blend the join with a dry brush.
Arctic fox, all white for winter White all over, with a soft grey shadow round the eye holes. Keep the ears short and thick.
Autumn fox with a felt leaf behind one ear Fox colours in deeper rust. Cut one maple leaf from mustard felt and tuck it at the ear.
Black wolf with amber eye rims Black base with dark grey strokes so the fur shows. One thin amber line round each eye hole.
Coyote in grey-brown with reddish ears Grey-brown base. Reddish felt for the ears, and the same red dry-brushed up the sides of the face.
Farm dog with one black eye patch White base, one black patch over an eye and the ear above it, a pink-brown nose.
Fennec fox with oversized ears Sand colour all over. Cut the felt ears far bigger than the mask's own and line them in a paler shade.
Fox kit with extra-round cheeks Two layers of white felt on each cheek, bigger eye patches and shorter, wider ears.
Fox with a snow-dusted nose Red fox colours first. Then flick white off a stiff brush across the nose bridge and brow.
Grey wolf, mottled grey, white, brown and black Short strokes of all four colours, darker on the brow, paler on the muzzle and cheeks.
Husky with a dark cap and pale spectacles Dark cap over the brow, white muzzle, and a pale ring round each eye hole like a pair of spectacles.
Husky with odd eye rims, one blue and one brown Same mask as any husky, then line one eye hole in ice blue and the other in warm brown.
Maned wolf, golden orange with a black mane Golden orange base, a white bib under the chin, tall ears and a strip of black felt behind them.
Red fox with a white chin and black ear backs Brownish-red base. White felt along the lips and under the chin, black on the backs of the ears.
Silver fox, glossy black with a silvery frost Black base. Drag a nearly dry pale grey brush over the brow and cheeks for the silvery look.
White wolf with a faint grey nose bridge White base and the lightest grey down the nose. Dark rims round the eye holes.
Wolf in moonlight, shaded in blue-grey Swap every grey for a blue-grey. Leave a pale strip down one side, as if lit from there.

Cats, wild and tame 18

Black cat with one white whisker pad Black all over, then a single white pad on one side. Whisker dots in black on the white.
Black panther with rosettes just showing Black base. Paint the rosettes in a black barely lighter, so they only show when the light catches.
Brown tabby, striped, with the M between the ears Grey-brown base with darker stripes. The M sits between the ears; add thin lines out from each eye.
Calico in white, orange and black patches White base first. Big clear patches of orange and black, none of them touching the nose.
Caracal, sandy with long black ear tufts Plain sandy base. Two black stripes from forehead to nose, white round the eyes, a long black tuft per ear.
Cheetah with black tear lines Pale buff base with solid black spots. A black line runs from the corner of each eye down the side of the nose.
Ginger cat with darker ginger stripes Two oranges only. Stripe the brow and cheeks in the deeper one and keep the chin pale.
Grey cat with pale green eye rims One smooth blue-grey, no stripes. The only other colour is a green line round each eye hole.
Leopard, gold with black rosettes Golden base. Each rosette is a ring of dark spots round a gold middle. Keep them small near the nose.
Lion with layered felt strips for a mane Any sandy colour for the face. Layer brown and gold felt strips all round the rim for the mane.
Lynx with black ear tufts and a neck ruff Grey-tan base. A black tuft on each ear tip and a fringe of longer felt hanging under the chin.
Maine Coon with a long neck ruff Brown tabby colours. Long felt under the chin and round the lower edge for the ruff.
Serval with large ears and black spots Golden-yellow base, spotted and striped in black, under a pair of large upright ears.
Siamese with a dark face and blue eye rims Cream at the edges, deep brown over the nose and brow and on the ears. Line the eye holes in light blue.
Snow leopard, pale grey with dark rosettes Smoky grey base going whiter at the chin. Small solid spots on the brow, open rings further out.
Tiger cub with wide cheeks Tiger colours on a rounder face: pad the cheeks with felt, thicken the stripes and shorten the ears.
Tiger, orange with black stripes and white patches Black stripes over orange. White on parts of the face and one white spot on the back of each ear.
Tuxedo cat, black with a white muzzle Black base. One white shape covers the muzzle and chin and runs up the nose as a blaze.

Deer, owls and other animals 16

Badger with two black bands along a white head White face. A black band runs from each side of the upper lip up to the base of the ear.
Barn owl mask with a pale heart for a face One pale heart shape fills the mask, edged in a thin darker line. Dark rims round the eye holes.
Bat with large ribbed ears Dark brown base. Wide ears with pale lines fanning from the base like ribs. A small upturned nose.
Deer in summer reddish-brown Reddish-brown for summer or grey-brown for winter. Tall upright felt ears and a dark nose.
Dragon with horn stubs and painted scales Pick any colour. Overlap U-shaped scales from the nose upward and add two short card horns.
Fawn with a scatter of white spots Warm tan base. Dot small white spots along the top edge. Fawns lose theirs in their first summer.
Field mouse with wide-set round ears Grey-brown base. Two large round felt ears set wide apart, pink inside.
Giant panda with black eye patches White base, a black patch round each eye hole, black rounded ears and a black nose.
Rabbit with card-stiffened ears One soft colour, paler round the mouth. Stiffen the ears with card so they stand.
Raccoon with a black mask across the eyes White face. Black round both eye holes, and a dark streak from the forehead down the nose.
Raven, all black with a blue sheen Black base. Drag a little dark blue and purple over the brow so it shines. Add a felt beak.
Red panda, reddish-brown with white face marks Reddish-brown base. White muzzle, cheeks and brows, and a white line inside each ear.
Sheep with curled felt wool round the edge Pale face, dark nose. Roll small felt spirals and crowd them along the top and sides.
Skunk, black with a white stripe from the head back Black base. Start one white stripe on top of the head and carry it over the top edge of the mask.
Snowy owl, white flecked with dark brown White base. Sparse dark flecks across the brow and yellow rims round the eye holes.
Spotted hyena, yellowish-grey with rounded ears Yellowish-grey base, rounded felt ears, and roundish dark spots kept to the outer edge.

Colour schemes 14

Autumn leaves: rust, mustard and deep brown Rust on the brow, mustard on the cheeks, brown for every marking.
Black, white and one grey Limit the whole mask to three tones. Decide which one each marking gets before you start.
Blossom: white with pink petal marks White base. Each marking is a pale pink petal shape with a darker pink base.
Cooling lava: black with glowing orange cracks Black base. Thin crooked orange lines with a yellow line inside each, thickest near the eyes.
Earth tones matched to your own hair Mix the base to your hair colour, then one shade lighter and one darker for the markings.
Frost: white base with pale blue edges Sponge pale blue in from the rim and leave the middle white. Silver for the whisker dots.
Galaxy mask in navy and violet with flicked white stars Sponge navy into violet, then flick white off a stiff brush. One larger star on the brow.
Night-sky blue with a thin silver crescent on the brow Deep blue base, slightly lighter on the muzzle. One thin silver crescent between the ears.
Ocean: teal fading to deep blue, with foam dots Teal at the brow, deep blue at the chin. Rows of tiny white dots where a wave would break.
Pastel patches in mint, lemon and rose Three soft patches that meet in wavy joins. White markings on top, no outlines.
Split mask: one half light, one half dark Rule a line down the nose. Same markings on both sides, with the two colours swapped.
Sunset fade from gold at the brow to plum at the chin Blend the colours while wet, in bands across the mask. Markings in the darkest plum.
Thundercloud grey with one yellow streak Dab dark and light grey like cloud. One jagged yellow streak down from an ear to the cheek.
Woodland: fern green with bark-brown markings Green base in two shades dabbed together. Stripes or spots in brown, never black.

Markings and felt details 14

A blaze: one pale stripe from nose to brow Wide between the eyes, narrowing to a point on the forehead. Soften its edges with a dry brush.
A mouth line and a chin spot One line down from the nose that splits into two curves. A small pale spot under it.
A nose in a heart, triangle or oval Sketch all three on the same outline, then pick. Add a small highlight at the top.
Cheek tufts cut from zigzag felt Three or four pointed pieces on each side, the longest at the bottom, sticking out past the rim.
Dark rims so the eyes read larger Paint a wide dark shape round each hole, then a thin pale line outside it.
Dark tips on both ears Top third of each ear in the darkest colour on the mask. Feather the join with a dry brush.
Eyebrow spots above each eye hole One pale oval above each eye. Tilt them inward for stern, outward for gentle.
Eyeliner wings out from the eye holes A dark line round each hole that flicks up and out at the outer corner. Try three lengths on paper.
Freckles flicked across the nose bridge Load a stiff brush with thinned paint and flick it with a thumb. Cover the rest of the mask first.
Layered felt fur on the cheeks Cut fringes of felt and glue them in rows from the bottom up, each row covering the last one's top.
Lighter felt inside each ear A smaller ear shape in a paler colour, set inside the first so a rim shows all round.
One folded ear tip Score the felt ear a third of the way down and fold it forward. Leave the other ear upright.
Painted whiskers against none at all Draw the same design twice, once with three fine lines a side and once bare. Choose after.
Whisker dots in three rows on each pad Small dark dots in neat rows on the muzzle. Draw the rows first so both sides match.

How it works

These therian mask ideas are for drawing on paper first: 80 designs with their colours, markings and felt details. Sketch the one you like on a mask outline, then paint it.

Read the full guide

Therian mask ideas drawing on real animals

Foxes, wolves and dogs holds 18 designs, Cats 18, and Deer, owls and other animals 16. Each hint gives the base colour, then the markings that make the animal: a cheetah's black tear lines, a badger's two black bands, a barn owl's heart-shaped face.

Colour first, felt last

Colour schemes has 14 palettes that fit any animal, such as Frost or Split mask. Markings and felt details has 14 finishing touches: whisker dots, a blaze, cheek tufts. Draw the outline, try two or three, and only then open the paint.

Draw the mask outline four times on one sheet and colour each differently before you commit.
Check the labels on paint and glue before they go on something worn on a face.
Paint light colours first. Dark markings cover mistakes; pale ones do not.

Questions and answers

What are good therian mask ideas for a first mask?

A tuxedo cat, a red fox or a giant panda. Each needs two or three colours and large simple shapes, so the design still reads from across a room.

How do I use these therian mask drawing ideas before painting?

Trace round the blank mask on paper and mark the eye holes and nose. Pencil in the big colour areas before any small markings, colour it, and keep the sheet beside you while you paint.

What colours go on a fox mask?

For a red fox: brownish-red over most of the face, white on the lips and chin, and black on the backs of the ears. The list also has an arctic fox, a fennec fox and a silver fox.