Blog post from July 2026 - Prince Charles Chevalier in pastel

A pastel drawing of a Prince Charles Chevalier Spaniel, a little dog known for its gentle, friendly, and social character.

A question that is often asked is this: “how do you get that sparkle in the eyes?”

As you know, I almost always start by drawing the eyes. In the eyes of this little Prince Charles Chevalier, you have not only white and black, but also colors such as ochre, green, as well as various earth tones and pink.

I start by outlining the highlights of the eyes with French Light Grey, as this is softer than white. Next, the contours and the pupil of the eyes are drawn with Cassel Earth from Caran D’ache. The color of the eyes is drawn from the inside out, using a combination of olive brown and bistre; I create the transition from light to dark with tan and yellow ochre.

By then blending from the inside out with a fine blending tool, you create a beautiful transition between these colors and thus achieve a shine in the eyes. I use pink in the corners of the eyes, and to finish, I give the highlights extra attention with Conté white; parts of the pupil and the contours of the eyes are slightly accentuated with dark brown.

Hopefully, the added photos are clear enough. If you would still like to take a closer look at the result of the original, I would like to invite you to the upcoming art event, Mon Mol Martre, where you can find me as usual by the picturesque Kleine Nete in Mol on Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2.