Fur and Texture

After I played with the duck, I started with the dog's eyes and built out the head from there. For me it is easiest to work with the darker fur first. (And I love throwing on the thicker texture of the sunlit fur at the end.) The splash of color with the collar was great fun.

There are couple of issues I see which I need to think about. The duck is important but I am thinking I should switch the duck from female to male.
The grasses on the left side indicate they are close to shore but I am wondering whether I should also have grasses on the right. This is when a computer can come in handy. I can take this photo of my painting and use the mirror function in my Paint Shop Pro to give me a new look at the painting for balance. Also, I can digitally paint in grasses on the right to see if I like the look before painting them over my water (which I like right now.)
The other issue I want to consider is the dog's head. It may need to go darker.

Stay tuned.