

Captain Jack portrait in progress 7 - A biscuit story
This is how the portrait looks now. Captain Jack’s face is finished. Next, the biscuit. There is a story about why holding that biscuit...
Kevin Roeckl
20 hours ago1 min read
2 views


Captain Jack portrait in progress 6 - Whisker info
Captain Jack’s forehead and right ear finished. Now working on the intricate detail of his white muzzle and nose. Next, the biscuit....
Kevin Roeckl
4 days ago1 min read
1 view


Captain Jack portrait in progress 5 - Sweet shining eyes
Captain Jack’s right eye is finished. My last post showed the left eye finished, and described the colors and reflections in an eye that...
Kevin Roeckl
6 days ago2 min read
1 view


Captain Jack portrait in progress 4 - A window in the eye
You can see all kinds of shapes in the lighting and reflections in an eye. Capturing them accurately is what makes an eye look real. In...
Kevin Roeckl
7 days ago2 min read
1 view


Captain Jack portrait in progress 3
Left eye finished. His bright, cheerful eye. Sindy cried when I sent her this pic. Captain Jack was her best friend for 16 years and...
Kevin Roeckl
Apr 141 min read
3 views


Captain Jack portrait in progress 2 - A limited palette so far
Working on Captain Jack’s ear. This portrait will be mostly in black, white, and various greys. Except for the tan biscuit he’s holding,...
Kevin Roeckl
Apr 111 min read
5 views


Captain Jack portrait in progress 1 - Initial outlines
Starting a portrait of Captain Jack, a black and white Pomeranian, for Sindy B. This shows the detailed outlines I start with. In...
Kevin Roeckl
Apr 101 min read
8 views


Zelda portrait in progress - start to finish
January 10 I’m starting a portrait of Zelda, a Top Twenty Doberman. Commissioned by Doberman breeder Susan R. as a gift to Zelda's owner...
Kevin Roeckl
Apr 519 min read
3 views


Rayne portrait in progress - The importance of paper color
In 2017 I created this complex portrait of “Rayne”, the 5th portrait I’ve done for Patti Fetzer after each of her beloved Dobermans...
Kevin Roeckl
Apr 42 min read
2 views


Portrait of Breeze
I want to share this sweet portrait of “Breeze” I created in the late 1990’s. This is an example of a simple background scene being...
Kevin Roeckl
Mar 311 min read
4 views


Zelda portrait finished!
I’m often amazed at the eloquence with which my client writes about their loved one. Diane’s words helped me capture Zelda’s strong and...
Kevin Roeckl
Mar 185 min read
6 views


Zelda portrait in progress 11 - one little tweak...
Three posts ago I described how I exaggerated the highlights on top of Zelda’s nose in order to make it stand out from the green...
Kevin Roeckl
Mar 182 min read
4 views


Zelda portrait in progress 10 - How to make a grassy lawn
The figure of Zelda is finished and now I’m putting in the grass around her feet. 1 Starting to fill in the grass.... 2 These are all...
Kevin Roeckl
Mar 134 min read
9 views


Zelda portrait in progress 9 - Fire in her eyes
Fire in her eyes, and the music I listen to in the studio, the “playlist to her soul”. (Read the captions) These 5 pics show how I...
Kevin Roeckl
Mar 74 min read
9 views


Zelda portrait in progress 8 - Glitches with studio time...
As I worked my way forward on Zelda’s body to her shoulders, I wanted to do her head next. Her ears are finished, which was my first day...
Kevin Roeckl
Feb 281 min read
7 views


Zelda portrait in progress 7 - Back after a long break
Resuming work on Zelda, the portrait of the Top Twenty show Doberman, after a VERY long break for health issues. Now working on her...
Kevin Roeckl
Feb 201 min read
5 views


Zelda portrait in progress 6 - First the ears...
When I shared this in-progress picture with Diane today I wrote: “I started working on Zelda’s head today. I re-read what you wrote about...
Kevin Roeckl
Jan 231 min read
8 views


Zelda portrait in progress 5 - Keeping it correct
Continuing to build Zelda’s musculature and the shapes of her body, the muscles and bone — her structure. A correct Doberman should look...
Kevin Roeckl
Jan 201 min read
3 views


Zelda portrait in progress 4 - About pencil pressure...
Lots of colored pencil artists believe it’s necessary to build up lots of layers with light pressure to achieve a solid color. I don’t...
Kevin Roeckl
Jan 172 min read
7 views


Zelda portrait in progress 3 - Attaching the muscles
Putting in Zelda's musculature. This has to be exactly precise to capture her structure…her beautifully correct structure. By working in...
Kevin Roeckl
Jan 152 min read
6 views