People have been asking to see some of the progression from early stages of a portrait, so here are a few photos from a painting of 2 German Shepherds that I have just completed.
This is the initial sketch where I worked out the positioning of the 2 dogs and laid out the basic outlines and features. I tried to arrange them so that neither of the dogs dominated the portrait more than the other.
I then put in the background colour so that I can add the dogs on top of it. I decided to go for a reddish colour which helps the dogs stand out while offering a good contrast to their colouration. The areas of light and dark help to add depth to the painting.
The next stage is to add in blocks of colour along with some of the major areas of light and shadow. This also shows the flow of the fur along the head and body.
Finally it's a case of adding the details in the fur and features of the faces, bringing out shape and form with light and shadow, and trying to bring the portrait to life. A sharp pencil is required for many of the finer details.
As well as pastel pet portraits I also paint other animals, such as the leopard shown in this link.