Begin by making a sketch based on the reference photo above.

The eyes

Colours used: Cold grey 6, cream, earth green yellowish, earth green, jade green, yellow ochre, Pablo umber, Van Dyck brown, light yellow ochre and sky blue.

Transfer the image outline to your paper using your preferred method.

Start the eyes by using cold grey 6 to draw the outline of the eyes and the pupils lightly. Take care to leave the highlights white. You can also use the white pencil for the highlights.

Use cream around the inner edge of the eyes followed by a combination of earth green yellowish, earth green and jade green.

Build these colours up in light layers along with light yellow ochre until you achieve a good depth of colour.

Add Pablo umber around the edge of the right-hand side of the left eye then add a touch of Van Dyck brown and light yellow ochre to the darker patches on the eyes.

Add more greens then blend in sky blue light to the left and right of the pupils.

Darken the top of the eyes with light layers of cold grey and blend this into the ‘ring’ around the pupils.

Next, use black to darken around the eyes and the pupils.

Ears and whiskers

Colours used: Caran d’Ache raw umber10%, cinnamon, warm grey 2 and 4, caput mortuum violet, cold grey 6 and ultramarine

1. Use the embossing tool to draw the whiskers and the hairs in the ears. You can also do a few small hairs here and therearound the fur. These will stay white when adding the colours of the fur and can be enhanced with the white pencil if needed. Turn the paper to whichever way suits you best to do these lines and practise first on scrap paper, as you want to draw these with a confident stroke to ensure they’re not wobbly.

2. Add Caran d’Ache raw umber 10% to the outer edges of the ears. Put a layer of cinnamon on the left ear. Build this up with light layers of warm grey 2, caput mortuum violet and cold grey 6.

3. Add these as you like then finish with a light layer of ultramarine then warm grey 2. Darken with cold grey 6 if you need to. Do the same for the right ear, but only on the right side. Gently add warm grey 4 to the area with the hairs

Head and face

Colours used: dark sepia, cold grey 6 and black

1. With a sharp dark sepia, lightly go over all the stripes on the top of the head and around the face with small strokes. Follow the direction of the fur with your pencil strokes and refer to the reference photo often for guidance.

2. When this initial layer is done and you’re happy with it, increase the pressure a little and darken the lines further with cold grey 6, dark sepia or black.

Colours used: ivory, warm grey 2,Caran d’Ache raw umber 10%, brown ochre, burnt ochre, cinnamon, terracotta, ultramarine, black and cold grey 2 and 61

1. Draw the fur on the face with a combination of ivory, warm grey 2 and Caran d’Ache raw umber 10%. Do this with small strokes side by side and build it up gradually then use ivory, brown ochre and burnt ochre around the eyes, nose and mouth and the shoulder on the left. Add a touch of cinnamon around the nose and eyes. Continue building up these colours until you are satisfied with the overall appearance.

2. The nose is done with layers of cinnamon, terracotta and brown ochre with just the lightest touch of ultramarine around the nostrils but not in the middle of the nose.3 Use black for the collar and the dark shadows then cold grey 2 and cold grey 6 under the mouth and chest to blend intot he darker areas.

Intensifying the colours

Colours used: black, burnt umber or Pablo umber, burnt ochre and brown ochre

The foundations of the drawing are in place now so you can begin to increase the intensity of the colours.

Go over the stripes with black and add burnt umber or Pablo umber around the face and in the shadows. I added some of these strokes as individual hairs and some as broader shading.

Add more burnt ochre and crown ochre to the face and shoulder.

Colours used: burnt umber, Pablo umber, dark sepia, burnt sienna and cinnamon

Gradually darken the left side of the face, shoulder and leg with burnt umber, Pablo umber and dark sepia; also add some to the top of the head. Add these in any order you want, just don’t add too much of anyone colour.

Apply a little burnt sienna to the outer edges of the nose and eyes.

Lightly apply burnt sienna to the left and right sides of the nose and blend this in with a touch of cinnamon.

Colours used: dark sepia, cold and warm greys, brown ochre, burnt ochre, yellow, green, blue and burnt umber

1. Continue to darken the stripes and add more dark sepia or cold and warm greys to the shadows. Don’t be afraid of going too dark. The drawing needs a good balance of light and dark tones.

2. Add more brown ochre and burnt ochre to the face and shoulder if needed and touch up the eyes again with a little yellow, green and blue.

3. Darken the shadows on the paws and chest with the warm grey 4, cold grey 6 and dark sepia.

4 Add small strokes of browns and umber to the fur. Keep the pencil strokes small. It’s better to do small rather than long strokes.

5. Go over the pupils, around the eyes and nose and the stripes with black to intensify these areas.

6. Add warm and cold grey to the chest, under the mouth and the legs and paws. Keep the grey light on the paws and increase this if you need to.

Finishing touches

Poppy, coloured pencil on Strathmore Bristol Smooth 300 Series (20x16cm)

1. The portrait is almost complete now and it’s just a matter of adding small touches of colour here and there – brown ochre, burnt ochre and cinnamon around the mouth, eyes and shoulder again. Add just a touch of caput mortuum violet or burnt sienna around the eyes and nose, and cinnamon to the nose and ears.

2. The whiskers can be made a little whiter with the slice tool, a scalpel or a very sharp white pencil. Use sharp cold grey 2 for the whiskers where they extend onto the white of the paper. As white on white won’t show, this light grey gives the illusion of a white whisker.

3. Time to step back and compare your drawing with the reference photo again to see if the colours and tones are well balanced. I usually have another look with fresh eyes the following day, as I can sometimes spot small areas that may need adjusting. You may find that the black seems to have faded overnight slightly. I think this is just the paper absorbing the pigment so you may want to go over these parts one more time. And that’s the portrait finished.

About John Stansfield

See more of John’s work in the gallery, on Facebook and Instagram and view his demonstrations and tutorials on his YouTube channel. View www.johnstansfield.co.uk for more detail about John and his work. You will also find information on commissioning a portrait of your own and details of coloured pencil and pastel pencil workshops.

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