I have finished the dog portrait! I think it turned out well. I'm glad I took the time to really look at the shading and fill out a few more areas. I think the nose, eyes and mouth are much better.
I can always 'feel' when it is done and usually have someone else look at it to make sure I have captured the subject. In looking at the photo, I can see areas of shading that may be slightly different, etc., but the essence is there. It is very important not to overwork it once you feel you have a good finished drawing.
I am nearly finished with inking the dog portrait. It is really taking shape now. Just some additional shading and shaping around the mouth and darkening around the eyes and it should be good to go.
I am making good progress on filling in the fur. I like how the nose turned out, though I can still see a few small areas for tweaking. That will come later. What is important right now, at least in my process, is to continue filling in fur, seeing how that takes shape, and beginning to add some more depth and shadow as I proceed.
I have begun the pen and ink work on the dog portrait. I am hoping to scan in several stages so you can see how it progresses. I think the eyes are looking pretty good at this point, so I will continue working on the fur and see how it goes!
Here is another draft of the dog in pencil. I made some additional tweaks on his eyes, the fur around his nose, and the nose itself. I've started the pen work on 140 lb hot press watercolor paper, which takes ink very well. I usually use bristol board, but did not have any on hand. I'll be posting stages of the pen work as it progresses.
