Rufus- 3 working sketches

Here are 3 initial images that capture the vitality of my subject. They range from the portrait focusing on Rufus' face while abstracting the frontal body mass, to working on proportion and foreshortening in the 2 outside images. In one, I started with mass, volume, contrast; too many considerations at once to get an early feel for the occupation and placement of any kind in space. Still, it was a good warm-up and practice that informed what I was able to accomplish in the linear drawing. In the linear drawing, I have just very simply blocked the whole figure in a horizontal composition at this point to gain a more successful feel for his particular mass in space, even though ultimately the final painting will have his proportions standing in a vertical space.

In the next drawing cycle, I am interested in turning up the details such as the moistness of his open mouth area and the eyes. I will also work the drawing to develop details of his eyes so they read more prominently, even though in life they are truly nestled in his voluptuous black coat without distinctive contrast. Never-the-less, I welcome all of that black information that makes up his whole external self to visually decipher.
I also notice that I am not yet satisfied with his legs. Rufus is deceptively a massive dog on very tall legs! It is an interesting combination to work out visually because he is big and yet, his height distributes his mass interestingly when you look at him for awhile. Meaning, as I understand looking at him right now he is big and tall, yet his mass distributes out to match the height he occupies!

The background is still percolating from several photo sources provided me at this stage, and find I am partial to elements in several of the photos. This means, I will be watching the overall "bones and body of painting notes" as I begin working up the next round of drawings. I am always curious to see if the background will get "built" along with the figure, or as in this particular painting, will I continue to be dominantly focused on working out all considerations for Rufus' physical demeanor first?
Stay tuned... as time is truly the center of making art. It is process by nature.