JR portrait in progress 1 - A very symmetrical head

Starting a portrait of a handsome Doberman named JR! This was commissioned by Diane and Michael Schurman as their anniversary gift to themselves.

Diane wrote:

“Maura Reilly picked us for JR because she knew we always took the more ‘challenging’ dogs from rescues and rehoming situations and wanted us to experience one with a lovely temperament. What a PERFECT dog!!!  I will go into more detail later in the process but suffice it to say he is INCREDIBLE in EVERY way.”

1

Ready to get to work. It takes me about an hour to set up my studio… arrange the reference image on the monitor, colors adjusted…choose the pencil colors I plan to use…lay out the pencil sharpener, eraser, clean paper, swatches. Get everything ready for me to sit down with the first pencil in my hand.

After that I just leave all the materials out ready to use the next day.

2

The pencils on the white paper at the top of the artwork are my main colors. You can see I have also laid out some of the other colors I’ll be using (between the pencil sharpener and my pencil display/holder). A variety of greys, then some muted yellows, and above that, a bunch of pencil extenders that I use when pencils get too short to hold comfortably.

3

Ready to pick up the first pencil.

I’ll start on the left ear.

4

Here you see an AI-enhanced version of my main reference photo on the monitor that I am using to see detail. Next to it is one of Diane’s photos where JR’s ears are almost identical to the main reference photo. The detail in Diane’s photo is not great, but it’s an actual photo from life, so I’m using to double-check the accuracy of the AI-enchanced image. Working on the left ear....

5

Left ear in progress. You can see several pencil extenders on the white paper. It’s a wooden handle (some are black, some natural wood) with a metal sleeve that holds short pencil stubs too short to hold but still have plenty of useable pigment in them.

6

A close-up of the ear in progress. Putting in the darks and lights, then I add other colors to completely cover the grey paper inside the ear.

7

Both ears completed except I left the tip of the left ear unfinished to ask Diane if she wanted me to straighten it. I noticed in JR’s photos that he had a characteristic of holding the right ear (his left) turned outward. The left ear facing forward, and often with the tip bending over a little.

In a portrait it’s important to capture what makes that individual unique.

Diane and I both agreed it would be good to straighten that left tip. JR does often hold it straight up. The nature of this head study is that I want to make it as symmetrical as possible. So I will match the angle of the left ear to the right one.

🎨 Prismacolor pencil on “Felt Grey” Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 12 x 18 inches.

❤️  Commissioned by Diane and Michael Schurman as their anniversary gift to themselves.

“JR” (Am/Can CH Gatehouse Who Shot JR NTD CGC ATT RN CGN)

Bred by Maura Reilly, Gatehouse Dobermans.