Scout portrait in progress 9 - White fur is easy on grey paper

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 black. 

Working on grey paper means I don’t have to cover the paper as solidly as I would if I were working on white (or some other color like tan or green paper). I don’t need to cover the “tooth” of the paper - the little bits of paper that show through colored pencil - in the areas where there are light and medium greys. It’s OK if that grey paper shows through the pencil strokes. It’s the color that works for what I’m adding there with my pencil colors. 

In other words, the paper color saves me work. 

3

White hair is easy to do, using white and light grey pencils, since the paper provides the shadows between the hairs. 

4

The pencil colors I’m using for Scout’s coat. Just about all the greys that Prismacolor makes. French greys, warm greys, cool greys, slate grey (a very blue grey), black, and white.

I’ve finished most of Scout’s black coat. His legs are white. His head will be black with a white blaze. Scout’s face will be extremely important to what makes this scene: his expression of intense concentration and focus.

Triple portrait of “Scout”.

Scout’s Chase RATM RATCh ThD

Commissioned by Annette Riehle.

🎨 Prismacolor pencil and acrylic wash on “Flannel Grey” Canson Mi-Teintes paper

20 x 26 inches.

Scout’s barn hunt portrayal is from a reference photo by Jackie Singer.