Another lesson, and my first animal sketch.

This morning I relaxed by taking another page out of one of the books I'm reading on pencil sketching and working the project.  This one is the first I've done where I'm happy with the lighting on a cylindrical object.  It's not perfect, but it looks more realistic than my previous attempts for sure:

Next is one I'm particularly proud of.  I did this sketch of my family's maltese/poodle mix, Misha.  He's a friendly little dog, and the first thing I've sketched that isn't some sort of table top object (although he DOES fit on a table without any problem).

Because he's a white dog, it was more what I left OUT that made the picture.  Definitely a good learning experience.  Anyone who has advice on creating more realistic fur outlines, I'd appreciate it.  :)