Process and some detail:
Many times, I am inspired by a photograph to draw a portrait. I cannot draw a detailed animal drawing from a live sitting, so I try to take very clear and close up photos of the pet’s face. I always love to take pictures of my pets and it seems like some cats actually like to pose for the camera. My cat Bella was sitting on top of our chair right by the window and the lighting was beautiful so I took a few photographs to capture the moment. A simple photo like that can turn into an amazing drawing.
Working on 11×14 drawing paper in graphite pencil, I created this portrait of my cat Bella. For a cat like Bella it is not even necessary to draw in color because she is mostly black, grey and white. While drawing, Bella was being very sneaky and curious. I would find her staring at the drawing and even sleeping under the table. She always wants to be near me. I spent about 20 hours on this drawing. Now hanging on my wall at home, it is double matted and framed in black.
I Sketch Pets 