One of the Male Lions of South Luangwa’s Punk Pride

On my first morning drive into South Luangwa’s National Park, Zambia  back in 2013 we came across this amazing Pride of Lions slumbering in the early morning September sunshine. Bellies all full from a feast they had had the night before. There were around 19 lions in total a mix of males. lionesses and about 7 cubs. 

Over the course of the next few days we came across this pride several times including this stunning male lying beside a female in the long grasses they were entirely separated from the Pride. He was not overly impressed with our intrusion on his courtship, but I couldn’t resist taking photographs of him, he looked so majestic with his amazing Punk style mane..

I really enjoyed painting this wonderful lion and mixing the colours to get his pale colouring just right.  Below is my progress with this painting of one of the Males of the Punk Pride in pen and Derwent’s tinted charcoal pencils on Fabriano Artistico Hot Pressed 300gsm Watercolour Paper. He is a little larger than A4