Reggie is my latest commission, and is not yet finished as I am also working on a couple with a black lab at the same time. This sprightly little chap has the wind in his hair and as the portrait is A4 size I decided to concentrate on his face. I started by painting the canvas board in shades of brown (it was meant to be cream but I thought the white fur would disappear on the left side too much). After the two coats had dried I sketched the main features and shadows in. Using black paint first I blocked in the shadows and painted his eyes, making sure I kept the shapes tight and in the right place. After placing the darks, I concentrated on the lights and painted in white paint with a wider brush. At this point I started to introduce some mid-tones - greys and yellows. The yellows were a mixture of yellow ochre and a touch of cadmium yellow as I wanted a bright under coat. The third photo shows the addition of burnt sienna on his ears and other areas of his coat to create warmth, as well as painting in the greys and blacks on his body and pinks and blues on his tongue. I have kept the bottom right purposely loose at this stage and might leave it depending on how the portrait progresses. In the top photo I changed my brush to a rigger and swept in long white hairs. I will continue to paint layers and layers of fine hairs now to build up a realistic looking coat. Keep watching...!
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