The Flea-Bitten Grey ... and a Short Peek at Buddy

I love this photo of Jessica and Misty.

This is the one Jessica wants to have as a portrait.

First, the masking goes on. I'm using Winsor Newton now, and I find it to be a big improvement. It  flows more readily, covers better with a thinner layer, and is removed more easily.
Next, I mix a grey with aureolin, pink and French ultramarine [for its granulating quality]. The pigments are applied w/w to get softness and maximize the granulation effect.

I have done more w/w glazing with the lighter grey, and am also going into a darker grey [quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone] to intensify the shadows. The pink of the nose is quin. coral, and the eye has been started with the orange/violet/blue mix, tending to the brown.

I'd like to think Buddy is almost finished, but realistically, I think I am at the halfway mark. He needs more texture in the black, more brightness and depth in the tan ...   I showed the painting to his mom and dad the other day, and they were almost teary [hate to do that, but it is a good sign that the painting captures the subject]. Pat has a good eye when it comes to art, and when I asked her what else she would like done with Buddy's portrait, she requested a background. I'll have to give some thought as to how and what to do with that.



The portrait of the grey is a commission for a "horsey" friend. Jess rents a house on Rhonda's property. Rhonda is my riding instructor, and the woman for whom I painted the two portraits of her dog, Carmella. When Jess saw the portraits, she decided she wanted one of Misty. Misty is what is called a "flea-bitten grey"; she is basically white, with very small speckles of a brownish-grey all though her coat. She and Jess have been together since Jessica was 8 years old [she is now finishing her bachelor's degree at university]. Just as I had finished mounting the sketch of Misty on watercolor paper, Jess sent me a note, asking if I could do her other horse instead. But now, she wants both of them done. Of course, I would love to paint both of them!!!
As always, all your comments are most welcome!