First copy the outline of the photograph onto the canvas board with a HB pencil. This provides some initial guidelines to base the first paint marks on.

Using dioxazine purple lightly mark the first outlines onto the board with a fine brush using a No. 0 Rigger brush, or any fine brush will do.

1. Add the highlights with titanium white around the face, body and bone cushion.

2. Paint Prussian blue on dark shadow areas, layering over the base layer of dioxazine purple and increasing the depth of colour.

1. Follow this by adding yellow ochre to the belly, legs, eyes, nose and ears. The first splash of bright colour!

2. Next mix Mars black and titanium white to make several shades of grey – a light grey to add to the highlighted areas and a dark grey to add to the shadows throughout.

3. Add grey to the cushion leaving the text white, to make the message more readable.

1. Now concentrate on the lovely eyes by applying a mix of burnt sienna with a little of the mixed grey (from Step 4) to make a greyish brown.

2. Using a fine Rigger outline the eyes in black and add white for the highlights.

3. Next mix flesh tint with a little white to add warmth to the belly area and the fur on the feet and used a tiny amount of burnt sienna to add a middle line and shading to the belly.

4. Add a small amount of cadmium red to the collar – and mix this red with white for the collar’s highlights.

1. Begin adding the final fine details, starting with the left leg and foot, use yellow ochre and raw umber to add details to the leg and feet.

2. Continue over to the other foot to add its final details.

3. Using the No. 6 brush, add white in small strokes as a suggestion of fur and a little raw umber mixed with white for shadows on the belly.

1. Add final details to the face using Mars black, which will cover most of the purple base outlines and make the depth of tone lovely and rich.

2. Add white and tones of grey around the face as highlights and the same around the body.

3. Using cerulean blue hue add more details on the left leg, side of body and tail.

Finally mix black and white to make a mid-grey for the background. Using a wide No. 16 brush dry-brush wide strokes of paint and mix in cerulean blue hue for the shadows.

The finished painting

Carman, acrylic on Pebeo natural linen canvas board, (30x30cm)

Find out more about Ros and her work by visiting her website www.rosingram.co.uk. or email [email protected].