This handsome Pitbull/Mastiff mix is Max! He is Kathy's daughter's new rescue dog. He's a big badass who just happens to also be blind. I've been told he's quite the lap dog.
Here we see the early sketch really focusing on his blocky head and stout body.
I figured adding a blind cane would give me an excuse to add a little color and interest to the painting. I also think the idea of a pup using a cane is amusing.
Once again I brought a snapshot of the pen work into Indesign to layout the text like I wanted. The eyeball was added for interest.
All the ink work is done at this stage and I've started my first wash. I had to stop mid brush stroke to snap a photo.
Look at all of that beautiful color! Since I needed a backround I decided badass Max needed some badass rose bushes to pose in front of. Notice that I also left his eyes white to show that he's blind.
Once the painting was "complete"(a painting is never really complete, you just get fed up with working on it) I sealed the entire surface with Matte Wax which helps bring out deep colors and pigment nuances in the work as well to protect the painting. Assuming you didn't want to frame this under glass the color would keep much longer than a non-sealed painting.
You can just barely make out the edge of the wax seal on the left side of the painting wear the masking tape held the paper down.
I'm really pleased with the way his snout came out.