Meerkats on a Sandy Rise

Four meerkats stand at different heights on a sandy rise, with two keeping watch, one sitting beside the burrow and another turned towards the dry scrub. Small stones and sparse grasses mark the foreground, while a broad blue sky opens above the distant red hills. Warm light brings out the bands in their fur without flattening the sand.

The upright meerkats are the easiest anchors because their heads and shoulders break cleanly against the sky. Build the burrow and the low animal next, then use the scattered stones to connect the lower edge. Sandy pieces need to be sorted by shadow, not just colour, since the slope changes direction across the scene. Leave the distant hills until the animals are in place.