I had to draw the Scotty a few times to get it right. But that's the advantage of drawing and redrawing. By this one, I wasn't looking at the ref so much because I just drew it a couple times. The more I paint in the sketchbook, the more I see the value of studies before finals. I saw JC Lyendecker do it in his way and it has always stuck in my mind. Vin Di Fate showed us the value this past summer at Hartford. Both of those guys did their studies as good as finals; at least they look like finals to me.
There are two black Scottys that live and bark next door. They never bother me and I like to look at them from the basement windows. I like that at that level, they are "taller" than I am. My grandmother had a Boston Terrier that lived next door. I would throw his ball and he would bring it back slick with his slimy spittle. Gross, but that's the price you pay for that kind of fun.