I started the portrait with an underpainting in purple tones to bring out the hues in Ralphie's coat.

Adding the eyes on a portrait is usually the point where I see if it's going to work or not. I used Burnt Umber Light and Yellow Ochre to do the shading, with a bit of the purple from the underpainting to bring the colors together. Next, I'll be adding the details on his face and the final layers of his coat.

Tags: Dachshund, underpainting