This is the second piece in a series of commissions, and also my second commission for a pet portrait. Unlike the other pets that I have painted, I found Olivia particularly challenging, due to the fuzziness of her fur — which was especially pronounced around the area of her collar.

I also experimented with a number of techniques while working on Olivia's portrait, and learned what not to do along the way. As I found out across three separate attempts (this final piece is my fourth), one can attempt to pack in too much detail into a piece — even one with a furry, fuzzy appearance.

Whenever I have issues with a piece, I can always trace it back to issues in my inking. Admittedly, sometimes my pencil sketches are off in their proportions, but more often than not, it's an issue with ink that I simply can't fix in the final stages of watercolor. 

I finally adopted more of an "open" technique with the fur instead of making an outline to enclose her in. I was still able to bring in the color, but the spacing between the strokes allowed her body to breathe — especially considering her light, fawn color.