Waves
Rita Ginsberg
Fine Art & Pet Portraits
Painting my world in pastel
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I am frequently asked about what products I use for my pastel work. Below are some product links I use from Amazon for my art supplies that you may be interested in. (*affiliate)
The Pastel Hangout Newsletter
Welcome to the Pastel Hangout Newsletter!
Today, I want to step you through the process of drawing a dog's eyes.
The dog's eyes are the most important feature in a pet portrait. Take some time to develop the features and character of the pet. It is the first feature unquestionably recognized by family and friends.
So, here are a few samples and steps to capture the shape, color, and depth of the eyes.
Step 1.
Establish a base layer of soft beige to begin contouring the shape of the dog's face before starting the eyes.
Draw the outlines and pupil of the dog's eyes with a black pastel pencil. Avoid filling the white spots reflecting in the dog's eyes.
Step 2.
Use dark brown to fill in the colored area of the iris.
Blend over the dark brown with some light brown pastel pencil over the lower area of the iris. The eyes are a combination of color and not a solid brown.
Step 3.
With the black pastel pencil, re-establish the outlines of the iris after blending. The eyelid will cast a shadow on the upper eye, so shade this area a little darker.
Step 4.
With the white pastel pencil, add a soft highlight. Then, add some light blue to create a soft reflection in the eyes occurring from the surroundings.
Step 5.
Begin shading around the dog's eyes with some dark brown. Switch to a light brown to contour the shape around the eyes.
Step 6.
Blend the base layer around the eyes to complete the eye areas.
Step 7.
I hope you have found this process of drawing the dog's eyes helpful and informative. Below is the final dog portrait after adding the fur details around the dog's face and eyes.
Watch a full video demonstration called: How to Draw a Dog's Eyes and Nose on my YouTube channel.
Thank you and stay safe and healthy!
Rita Ginsberg