Started a commission of dog portrait for a friend. She loves the way her Luna looks in the reference picture. I must render three legs from other not so reference-able pictures. I decided to add blurry trees in the background and tall grass around her from a pixabay picture to cover her legs enough, to not notice differences. This is what it looks like so far. I used “pictcollage” iphone app to rig my reference picture 
I might get photoshop when/if I feel like learning to use it is absolutely necessary.
Any ideas welcome! It’s still very changeable! 
First I used a grid to sketch the dog on tracing paper, then rubbed white soft pastel on the back of it to transfer it to my pastelmat.
Here’s my process and progress…
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Hi Meme5
Your friends don’t know how lucky they are that you will do this for them. I seldom do artwork for others, partly because I don’t have enough time for extra projects and many of them have little appreciation for the amount of effort involved, and because (as in this case) the reference photos are greatly lacking. Your tracing and the start of your drawing are really good. You are an amazing person.
Terri Robichon
These are great. Love them all.
Sonya,
This is really looking great, as all of your artwork. I agree with Terri, I hope your friends realize and appreciate all the work, time and expense that goes into a drawing like this. Especially a pet portrait, where there is more stress to make it perfect.
Teri
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@TLP, I really hope it’s appreciated in any pieces made, too.
I’m sure it’s happened to most of you also, that people just say “ draw this or that for me”? I don’t quite know how to respond to that. As much as making art is a passion, as you mentioned, the expense is enough to not just give your hard work away. But it’s beginning to be a very common occurrence for me.
It was not in the dog’s case. Luna is very old and sadly, she could go anytime in the near future. Her “mom” is a Veteran friend, who was my daughter’s Pathways teacher (transition into workforce, independent living skills for my adult child with Down Syndrome) Geez, a mouthful. 
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