What's new pussy cat?

Well, this little fellow is the newest arrival to the portfolio. A gorgeous tabby cat - this picture was created as a portfolio piece using a photo reference image (not for sale, or commerical gain). I wanted the challenge of working on a domestic cat and he just jumped out at me and asked to be drawn!

I particularly enjoyed working on the eyes and trying to capture not just the expression but also the depth and glassiness. Layering the colours to create the texture of the fur was time intensive but so worth it - I think you can get a sense of the plushness of the cat coat, especially on the chest and back.

I'm waiting on the arrival of some white fine line paint so I can finish off the whiskers. I scored the whiskers into the paper at the draft drawing stage to prevent as much colour as possible from slipping into this area. But the fine hairs are difficult to capture and highlight purely with scoring - due to the depth and number of layers of colour required for the face.