Dog Portrait: Hector

Hector and his tongue, 2010 8"x10" oil on canvas board

Another quick sketch or another small dog. Hector is a black pug - he might be a mix of some kind. He has a tongue too great for his mouth, so it's pretty well always sticking out. He's sweet and funny looking, both excellent qualities in a small dog. 

Here are a few of the steps that brought me to this little sketch:

Drawing 3:46pm. Not much to look at. I don't draw much in terms of details, as my painting style isn't at all like my drawing style, so I don't commit too much time to this. I like to start with a base color that will contrast what I might imagine to be the more interesting of the subject colors. I thought Hector might look good in a blue/purple coat, thus the yellow base coat.  

 First steps: 4:18pm - cover in the background spaces (just happened to be in another kind of yellow, for fun) and started laying down most of the darker stuff.

Middle steps: 4:42pm - more of same, started introducing some layers of color, as the early steps always look so ugly, and this layering gives me some hope that the sketch might look half-decent upon completion.

Finishing touches: 5:31pm - play with lights and darks, revisit background. Voila - little dog sketch.