Looking for tips and suggestions on painting a black cat

[leighbythesea2]

9. Good call

On mixing your black, instead of out of a tube!

When i have done dark skin tones (with black hair) in past i generally do a triad scheme, and orange green purple with black, seems to work nicely.
You can use purple in the hair highlights, muted orange as dark tones in any light value areas (with peach and cream) and greens in clothing.
The triads can be subtle of course. Could be reds & blues too with touch of cream (instead of yellow). It could depend on the color of the kids hair? Like start with the non-negotiables and go from there?

I did this o/g/p with a pastel portrait of Naomi Campbell from a Rolling Stone magazine, or Interview (b&w) once. And my friend who is Venezuelan. Her hair is very dark but 100% stunning and needed good capturing.
Like you i stretched the values (on a photocopier).

How exciting! Love portraits. And kitties.