Blue Study

I sometimes sketch objects I see, for practice and also it is fun.  Occasionally one of the cats will sit still long enough to be sketched.  Winston was still for ten minutes, just  enough to sketch a lovely study of him in charcoal.  It is a fast sketch, so not super precise, maybe even a bit primitive ?  I worked to capture his soft shiny fur, the intelligent gaze he had while sitting for me, and his general character.  I have done several such studies of him (and some also of Pookie...none of Maggie, she does not seem to want to sit for a sketch).

I liked doing his whiskers  and fur in the charcoal and smearing it a bit gave it a softness that really looks like his coat.  I added some notes about how I might develop this composition.  In fact, I thought I might paint this up, but have not yet.  I thought of doing his fur in indigo.  He is a blue cat, after all.  And he revels in his blueness.  But in the end, charcoal seems to suit his impromptu portrait very well.  I liked this particular sketch and had it framed up, even with scribbles I had put on the page.   The title of this composition is "W".