painting in progress, scooby

Underpainting 2-27-10

I am working on my first pet portrait of my long time and close friend's dog, Scooby. I'm a little apprehensive about capturing and portraying Scooby. I have never attempted something as personal as a portrait but, I welcome the challenge to try something new. It's pretty cute seeing Scooby's picture everyday, taped to my easel.

When I recently read about underpainting I knew I wanted to try this technique on Scooby's painting. Again something I've never done. I have to say, it was really helpful to start with one neutral color to define the layout and work out any kinks!