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In my previous post I described how I used the grey paper color, which I had masked off when I made the green and gold underpainting, to give me the right base color for Scout’s black and white coat.  Check out how I use that for Scout’s front leg in this post.  And how I’m starting to utilize the gold underpainting now to make the straw. 1 It took quite a while to do all of Scout’s black coat on his body. There are more pencil colors in a Border collie’s black coat than you

I’m working on Scout's barn-hunt figure, the third depiction of Scout in this triple portrait. In these pics you can see why I masked off the figures to protect the grey paper when I made the underpainting for the grass and straw backgrounds (green, and gold/brown). I wanted to utilize that grey paper in creating Scout’s coat in all three figures.  1 - Starting with Scout’s beautiful big fluffy tail! 2 Scout’s black coat is made up of many shades of grey….very little actual b

I’m not going to add the colored pencil grass details around the Frisbee figure until I finish the barn-hunt figure. The backgrounds of those two scenes - straw and grass - will have to blend together at the edges. Since the portrayals of Scout are the most important thing, I want to finish the barn hunt figure first. Then create both the straw and grass backgrounds around the two action figures. Any background scene I put in has to enhance the figures, not the other way arou

Continuing Scout’s triple portrait. I’ve moved on to the second figure, an action pose - Scout running fast with his Frisbee. This one poses a dilemma: a blurry reference photo. Most people know me for my highly detailed, realistic style. I solved the challenge of using a reference photo that doesn't show any detail, by working in a different, more impressionistic style. The close-up of the pencil strokes in Pic 4 shows what I mean. A professional artist friend of mine often

How I made the underpainting for Scout’s portrait. I decided to do the underpainting after I completed Scout’s head-study with colored...

Almost finished with Scout’s head. I am not going to do any of his neck and shoulders until I complete the two action poses - Frisbee,...

This is my favorite “in progress” pic so far, with Scout's shiny black nose popping out of the paper! There are lots of detailed shapes...

How I made an eye... 1 I usually start an eyeball by creating the eye structures that are around it - eyebrow, corner of eye, eyelids,...

The first day’s colored pencil work on Scout’s head study. Today I worked on his ear and started across the top of his head. Tomorrow I...

I'm starting a triple portrait of a Border collie, “Scout”. This album show how I go about designing a complex portrait with multiple...

April 25 This is Daisy, a 2-year-old mixed breed rescue, owned by Kathy and Mark H. For Christmas 2024 Mark gifted Kathy with the promise...

Daisy is a two year old rescue from our local Humane Society. It’s unusual for me to work for a local client and be able to meet and...

The choice of paper color makes such a difference in colored pencil art.  1 In my last post I showed all the many pencil colors I’m using...

I was going to finish both of Daisy’s eyes today but my yard guys showed up unexpectedly (2 hours early). I can’t concentrate when there...

I fell so far behind posting Wishes’ and Raven’s portraits that I didn’t get a chance to show you another one I finished in the meantime....

June 20 I’m starting a new portrait, of Raven. This is the 4th Border Collie portrait I’ve done for Cathy Nearman. Soon I’ll share more...

April 9 Starting a portrait of Captain Jack, a black and white Pomeranian, for Sindy B. This shows the detailed outlines I start with. ...

Wishes' portrait will be a challenging artwork. It’s not a complex piece, but it is a challenging one because of the values. (Value = how...

The portrait arrived in Hawaii! Handsome Raven, 10 years old, with his portrait not yet opened, along with “little sister” Wynter, the...

I always love what clients write when we start working together and I ask them to tell me about their loved one. People who say they...