Pastel progress

Progress shots of my latest pastel commission - 2 dogs in one. Black dogs are tricky to photograph well and we don't have any ideal shots of this one. Flash photography tends to give an unnatural sheen so it's best to try and take pictures outside in not too bright sunlight.

I lightened up the best shot with photoshop but it's a very small image with no detail or colour so I'm also referring to a side shot. I'm not convinced about the eyes at the moment, think they may be a bit large but the flash in the photo bleached them out so it's tricky to tell.  I'll finish the collar then work on the spaniel and see how the portrait looks as a whole before I do any more on the eyes.

I have a daylight bulb which I use in the studio during the day to counteract the yellowing effect of the ceiling light (not enough natural light in the studio as there's a hedge outside the window) but it's no good after dark so I'll cary on tomorrow. Yes, I know they are mainly black and white but I use a lot of blue and it's very easy to overdo it in the wrong light. Also, I've got a streaming cold so it's now time to sit on the sofa in front of the fire!

And this morning I have managed to complete the portrait. The eyes were a bit too wide so I narrowed them and lessened the line of the nose. It's always tricky trying to decide what to do with the background, particularly with a head only portrait - as these 2 are such different sizes I just blended the neck and shoulders into a misty blue of different shades, keeping a lighter area bottom left to balance the composition.