No. 376: The Redhead

No. 376: "Ruger" colored pencil and watercolor, August 2017

I have an affinity for redheads. Go figure.  As such, I really like the way this drawing of Ruger turned out.  (Although he and I are more natural auburn.)

I was asked to draw Ruger in color, for a gift, after he crossed over that Rainbow Bridge. Colored pencil, specifically. By this point I have done hundreds of dog and cat portraits in black and white pencil, and a handful in watercolor and ink, but none in straight colored pencil.  So I said we'd give it a shot.

Just a little bit of watercolor.

But I lied, just a little. I worried that the colors would appear a little thin and a lot sketchy with just the pencils, so I watercolor washed a little brown and tan, some black, and yellow and red onto the paper before I began the pencil work. And I did tell the customer my reasoning up front, and he was cool with it.

Here he comes!

So what I delivered is 85 percent colored pencil and 15 percent watercolor. But he's all handsome.

Most of those hundreds of dog and cat portraits under my signature are for passed pets.  People choose a favorite pose and seek to keep the best memories alive.   In this picture, Ruger is no longer a young dog, but he sure as heck is a happy one.