Rhodesian Ridgeback: progress, start to finish!

Rather than update with a bunch of smaller posts, I opted to update with one massive post, showing the Rhodesian Ridgeback in all its stages of completion, color study to final piece.

^ Revised color study in my second faux-Moleskine notebook (it's the Pentalic brand; they're great for quick color studies and figuring out color palettes).

^ Rough sketch of the Ridgeback on its final board.

^ Workplace shot, showing (clockwise from left): my color study; Verithins for detail work; my color palette; two Rapidograph technical pens for lineart; and the Ridgeback.

^ Finished lineart for the Ridgeback, using the 00 (.30) Rapidograph.

^ The tree is inked using the 3x0 (.25) Rapidograph.

^ Priming the tree's leaves begins with two hues.

^ Two-hue priming finished.

^ Sky primed with Greyed Lavender.

^ Pulling back to show primed tree leaves, sky, and far and middle background planes.

^ I've detailed some of the leaves on the tree, and have begun priming the foreground plane.

^ Closeup of the tree leaves.

^ Underpart of the leaf mass detailed / shaded.

^ The tree leaves are finished!

^ I finish painting the sky by layering Cloud Blue and Pink Rose over the Greyed Lavender priming layer. These two colors retained the underlying hue better than any other colors I tried.

^ Closeup of the Ridgeback's face against the colored background. I've begun desaturating the far background plane with Greyed Lavender.

^ Obligatory "shiny shot" showing a high sheen after buffing with a cotton ball.

^ Another "shiny shot," this time showing the full artwork thus far.

^ Background entirely finished (minus touch-ups).

^ First coat priming layer: Sand.

^ Second and third coat priming layers: Gold Ochre and Terra Cotta.

^ Closeup of the Ridgeback's face.

^ The Rhodesian Ridgeback is FINISHED!

Like the Great Dane, this was a fun illustration. I don't think it's as strong as the Dane is (all funky color combinations therein), but it was nice to create something fairly realistic while practicing my background skills. (I need need need to take up background work again and get better at it.)