Eevee (2020)
This commissioned portrait features Eevee, an Australian Shepherd known for her mismatched eyes and thick, textured coat. It was my first paid commission created entirely in Procreate, marking a personal milestone in translating technical experimentation into client-ready work. The piece focused heavily on fur rendering, an area I had struggled with in earlier illustrations. Using layered strokes with varying opacities, I built depth and directionality into the fur, especially around the snout and ears. The challenge was to retain realism without overworking the texture, balancing softness with detail across the facial features. Disclosure: the original artwork delivered did not include my signature.
Reflections & Areas for Improvement:
This piece helped solidify my approach to rendering fur — learning how to build depth using layered strokes at varying opacities rather than relying on blending tools.
The facial features, especially the eyes and snout, achieved a level of realism I was happy with. However, the rendering on the body lacked the same level of refinement, creating a visual imbalance.
