Wishes portrait in progress 10 - The challenges continue

I thought when I finished Wishes' head the rest would be easy. But the values in this piece are going to challenge me all the way through. 

1

After finishing her collar I worked my way down Wishes’ chest and started on her legs and paws. There was a varied set of challenges that had to be solved. 

2

This area isn’t just filled with “black”. It’s full of subtle colors. I’m using Sepia and Ultramarine Blue, Warm Grey 70%, French Grey 70% and 90%, Cool Grey 70%, Slate Grey, and a touch of Chocolate in a couple places. And Black. 

Sepia (a very dark brown) and Ultramarine Blue (a deep cool blue) layered over one-another make a color very close to black. But it’s not quite black. It’s a value just one step from black. That’s the color I’ve used under the left edge of her collar. It transitions to true black on the right edge of that area. (The farthest to the right that I’ve worked with pencil just below the edge of her collar in this pic.)

3

Here’s a close-up. Lots of dark-value colors blended together. Yet carefully avoiding reaching a true black. The front of Wishes’ chest is still within that zone where I want it to be affected by the hazy light from the window on the left. 

In this close-up you can see that I’ve allowed the dark grey paper to show through in little bits in the pencil-work. I don’t need to cover every speck of paper tooth, because I am using that color in my portrayal of the colors.  

4

Using just the latest touch with the pencils on the left wrist. Applying the faintest of color, to keep that soft hazy light effect on her foreleg. 

I am back to doing very careful application of values, like I did on the front of her muzzle.

5

What are these shapes on her feet? You have to know what the shapes are before you can draw them. 

See next pic… 

6

This is the original reference photo. 

Her folded front and rear paw overlap.

The brighter shapes are where the sunlight is hitting the little tufts of hair between her toe pads.

7

Putting together the shapes that comprise Wishes’ front leg, rear leg, and feet. 

Before I started with Wishes’ wrist and paw, I decided to outline the black edge where her black body (her elbow and her rear leg) meet the lighter orange color of her paws: her folded front and rear paw that overlap. So I could see how those colors look against black. The values of colors look different to our eye depending on the adjoining values. That very dark muted orange looks different against black than it does against the dark grey of the paper. Look at that orange shape where her rear leg bends (like a reversed “L” shape). On one side of it is the grey paper — it’s almost the identical value as the orange. On the other side of it is the black pencil outline I’ve added….All of a sudden that orange looks lighter. 

8

Feet and forearm finished. Next I’ll do the rust marking on the front of her chest where the light from the window is hitting it. 

More tricky values. 

“Wishes”

❤️  Commissioned by Alicia McCarthy

🎨 Prismacolor pencil and acrylic wash on “Dark Grey” Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 20 x 26 inches.