I start out with a wet wash of yellow ochre...dropping fairly saturated colors
into the wet wash(ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, more ochre or gamboge
yellow and a touch of sap green, depending on the subject)let dry and do it
again, until you get some depth to your colors.
.............the blue is masking fluid...leave on
until all washes are complete
I never use black from the tube when painting cat eyes, or most anything else! I
find that tube blacks are dead and flat looking. Mix a dark with ultramarine
blue and burnt sienna (or burnt umber) on your palette until you have a rich
dark color. I use this to outline the eye and paint the pupil.
When you are satisfied with your colors and depth of color, remove the
masking fluid. Be sure your paper is DRY before trying to lift the mask!!
You can then refine the lines around the eye if needed. Now you can use a
damp brush to lift out some highlights in the green eye area. Remember
that the eye is an orb...and not flat...there will be light passing through it.
Above all else....Play and have fun!!!
The photograph for this demo was used with Permission.
Photographer- Ruth Harris.  Janet Thomas was owned by 'Baba'
Thanks to all!!
Demo was loosely based on a technique by  J Haines.