In the event of keep things new and different with the process of drawing, I decided to do a bit of a mixed media approach to this piece. Faber Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils & Soft Pastels.
Its been a minute since I used pastels. Had to get the feel for them again but picked it up fairly quickly in a few minutes. Right now, the background + foreground is done in pastel. The under layer is done in light colored pencil to establish where the main colors went. When dealing with an out of focus background and foreground, think in abstract terms. It’s easier for your brain to break it down that way.
Take every layer one step at a time. I used OMS (odorless mineral spirits) to blend some layers together on both pastel and pencil areas. Once I come closer to the end, I will most likely go back in with pastel to fine tune everything.
This piece is up on my website for purchase now if you are interested. Follow with progress photos on my Facebook page as well 🙂
From Start Until Now
Started with a light outline in graphite pencil using the grid method. Once that is established, start filling in the eyes to really put the life into the cat right away. Layer by layer, I build it up leaving the details for last.
Here is where the piece stands right now. The background and foreground is kept soft with the pastels. I wanted that to be loose, for now, once the cat is done I will fine tune everything more if I feel it’s needed.
Reference Photo is from: Wildlife Reference Photos
Size: 12 inches wide x 16 inches high
