Portrait Marathon update: Phoenix progress

H just peeked in, saw Phoenix on my computer screen, and said, "Man!  That dog has a long nose!"  I cast a loving look at the nose in question and replied fondly, "Yeah.  That's Phoenix."  H shoots back, "'Phoenix'!?  That dog should be called 'Sandpiper'!"  Heh.  Everyone's a comedian!

Here's the original reference photo I received of the elegantly-snooted Phoenix.

Sweet, mellow, Phoenix.  The background is busy, and he's a bit fuzzy.  The eye on our right is transformed into a goat eye by unfortunate shadows and reflections, and there's not much contrast.  So, photoshop to the rescue.

Cropping, bumping, overlaying, painting and carving out gives me a working background concept, and a better reference to work from.  Now I'm ready to move to the canvas, and get him drawn on.

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Okay, now he's drawn onto the canvas.

Ready to paint!

My goal here will be to keep the colors muted and unified throughout, to reflect Phoenix's mellow, unobtrusive personality, but to make sure the eyes have depth, shine and soul.  Keep his sweet face a little warmer than the rest of the canvas, with those bits of light coming through his ears.  Those little translucent details are what helps to make the portrait seem alive, rather than a depiction of a sculpture.