How to Paint a Boxer Dog Portrait


This is my painting of Foster, a Boxer. I filmed my painting of his portrait from start to finish. You can watch the video below, or scroll down to see my progress stills and commentary.

I began with an initial sketch from the reference photos. I used only hard copies of the reference photos, so I don't have a digital picture of Foster. Here's my sketch:
CIMG3431
I began by painting in a light pink underpainting in Quinacridone Magenta. This underpainting will be mostly covered by the subsequent layers of white and cream, but it will glow through in places to show hints of his skin and make the portrait look warmer and more vibrant. The underpainting also helps me plan my painting as I go and preserve the original perspective of the sketch.
boxer_underpainting
After I've marked in the basic shapes in his face with the underpainting, I map out the areas of highest contrast in black, like his eyes, nose and face markings.
boxer_black
Next, I made a mix of Titanium White, Payne's Grey and Titan Buff to paint in the colors in his fur. Foster has very fine, smooth fur, so I occasionally stop and polish out the brush strokes with a dry brush. You can see a hint of the reference photo over to the right side. I like to prop up the enlarged reference photo next to my easel so I can look at it easily without having to turn my head.
boxer_coat
After completing the medium detail on his face, I refined the detail on his eyes and then began the background. I chose a mixture of Payne's Grey (actually more of a navy blue) and white.
boxer_background
Here's my finished portrait of Foster:
CIMG3580