Rum was such a pleasure to draw ❤️. When drawing fur that has a softer, shinier appearance the use of subtle layers is vital. Jumping to the brightest highlights first will significantly reduce the depth and realism that is captured within the entire portrait. Those brightest details should be kept for the last couple of layers and preparing the portrait for those is key. - - - 14" x 26" pastel drawing Reference photo my own | Zara's Pet Portraits & Wildlife Art

A few little snippets of my latest chocolate Labrador drawing =). Here I am building up layers gradually and focusing on a few pencil techniques. Fur length, direction and thickness are all important factors when drawing realistic fur. One thing that massively impacts this is the amount of pressure applied to the pencil. This is soemthing that I always explain in great detail as it's what can dramatically effect the type of fur texture we are drawing. Coco was such a pleasure to draw in pastels

I'm currently drawing Abby a beautiful chocolate Labrador. I love drawing this fur colour in pastels. I think the richness of the pigment and how you can layer with the pastel pencils, makes this a perfect medium to use. | Zara's Pet Portraits & Wildlife Art