The Weimaraner is a large dog that was originally bred for hunting in the early 19th century. Early Weimaraners were used by royalty for hunting large game such as boar, bear, and deer. Wikipedia
I recently had a chance to paint this beautiful dog for a client. Because there was so much grey in the fur and very little contrast, I snuck in shades of blue and purple to make the painting and of course the dog pop.
Most of the reference photos I get show undesired elements and are crops of much larger photos. This means that I often have to work on taking things out, painting missing things in and of course enlarging something that is like postage size to a 12x16 in image. What I see on my end is a pixelated blurry outline. Since I have been painting animals for so long, with some diligence and reconstructive painting, I am usually able to get a recognizable resemblance back into the painting. Note, usually - sometimes I am ripping out my hair in frustration, when I can't see what's going on and don't get the feedback I need, when I need it. Thankfully this was not the case with this portrait and it came together fairly fast.
Here is a close-up of the fur detail...
