I blocked in the main fur light and mid tones with acylic paint using a light and darker brown, concentrating the latter where the darker fur was to be concentrated. This was quite a slow process.
The chin and nose area was painted with a creamy white.

All areas of fur are now ready for the dark chocolate brown hairs to be worked in, observing a banding pattern typical of tabby coats.

Because of the sheer quantity and fineness of dark hair running throughout all areas of the body, but to different degrees, I enlisted the aid of a dip pen. Mixing a couple of dark brown/black dilutions of acylic ink, I worked into the coat to texture the lighter areas and build up the dark areas to describe the distinctive markings. The lighter fur visually overlaps these dark areas.

You can see the unfinished fur in the bottom half of the portrait to compare.

I completed the coat by overlaying some light hairs over the dark to enhance the tufted effect, and used a rigger brush to paint in the whiskers in white acrylic ink in long sweeping strokes.

Ziggy's coat took a few days to complete.

Finally the stage I love the most. All the gaps between the plant were filled in with colour with denser grasses and stems suggested. Softer loose brushstroke grasses in grey-blue tones were added at the back to aid visual recession in this tightly packed composition.
A cloudy sky, using wet into wet acrylic and glazing, conveys movement and mood.