Casey portrait in progress 9 - Orange on both ends

I'm working on the Monarch butterfly using the same colors I used for Casey’s head. This balances the orange on the other end of Casey - the only orange in the artwork. 

As I was sending these in-progress pictures, Doug wrote:

“I just have to tell you that for 3 days in a row I have seen a monarch butterfly outside my window!!!! ”

The grass around Casey was not yet finished. Only the grass blades to the left of him have been added with colored pencil over the green underpainting. I stopped making grass blades to do the orange Monarch, so I could then continue making grass blades up to the edges of it’s wings.

The balance of two orange patches on both ends of Casey is an important part of the composition. You’ll see that composition better when I show you the whole finished piece.

There are 5 butterflies in Casey's portrait, as Doug requested. Casey is a Grand Champion Papillon (Top 25 Papillon, 2025). Papillon is French for "butterfly”. Their ears are supposed to resemble butterfly wings.

🎨 Prismacolor pencil and watercolor on white Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 15 x 20 inches.

“Casey” (GCHS Ch. Marrics Just In Case With Grand Oaks).

Commissioned by Doug Eicher.

From reference photos taken by Doug and a show photo by Lexi D Photography (Alexandria Darienzo).