Malinois portrait progress

In this step, I've painted more of the very short muzzle fur and the nose (which still needs some tweaking). So far, I have layered up to 6 different pastel colors in order to render this dog's fur. 

 

Below you can see the fur details up close (larger than actual size).  Since the small precise strokes require a very sharp and crisp point there is a need for constant sharpening. Concentration and a steady hand is essential to lay the fur correctly. This process is quite time consuming and there is still much more work to be done...