Border Collie in Watercolor, Start to Finish

 Start To Finish, watercolor painting of  a beautiful Border Collie

Gather photos, sketch and transfer sketch to stretched watercolor paper, this is 8 by 10.  Masking applied.

Begin to add some color, a little background and the early lightest washes. I am painting on Arches 140 pound cold pressed watercolor paper.  I buy large sheets and tear to the size I need.

Adding some darker colors now, I have used Cerulean blue, UM blue, Paynes Grey, Burnt Sienna,  among others.  Early washes are more dilute than later washes.  All are Winsor and Newton Paints.

Always looking for values, lights and darks, trying to create form.

Starting to take shape here, still loose washes, trying to capture her sweet expression.

Beginning more detail now, I paint fur in the direction of the hair growth.   I remove the masking with my fingers or an eraser. to reveal the saved white of the paper.  But I usually soften those lines, don't want those lines to be too hard looking.  

I do soften some of the lines and washes, to blend some of the color, I use a damp brush to soften the borders between washes, avoid the hard lines.  Here is The finished painting!  Any questions??