ENTRY #3 :))

 The water colour process at this stage is a matter of applying layers and allowing drying times in an attempt to get depth and tones right.

Of course, the eyes are the most important--and intimidating-- feature of the portrait as far as I am concerned. It is vital to be able to catch the spirit of the subject in the eyes and this I must do from a photo only as I have not had the pleasure of meeting Indie in person. So I fiddle a lot with the eyes trying to get the colour true but it is too easy to over fuss, so I make sure to "step back" often and return with fresh eyes of my own   :)

At this point, I can see the end in sight. While I make some minor finishing touch-ups I am thinking about a background for the painting. I can visualize a subtle wash probably in the same shade as the stuffy but will sleep on that in case another idea should pop into my head.

*   *   *

Yes, I am going with a basic pink wash. My tendency is to keep fiddling but that could go on forever, so I have decided to put down my brushes. With the addition of the specular reflection in the eyes and my signature, I have decided that I have finished painting Indie.

~C

Endnote: After input from Kelly I have attempted without success to lift off some of the background. Feedback from my on-line art group suggested that by adding more depth and making the stuffy a shade or two darker would accomplish the same effect. So here it is. I appreciate your input Kelly--I think it is an improvement. ~C

ENTRY #2

 I now have all my colours. The Rose Madder can't be used out of the tube as it is too vibrant so I have experimented with other colours to see which one will mix best to produce the "stuffy" pink. It seems I will have to mix the rose with Naples Yellow to tone down the pink. But I am fairly happy with it. The pink you see third from the left is called Potters Pink and it was used for Indie's ears.

Getting started with the first layer is exciting but also stressful. You don't really know what your colours will do on the paper. Also, I find I am too much in my head at the beginning instead of letting go and painting loosely but eventually it comes around. 

Viewing the first day's effort can be very disappointing. It's hard to visualize the finished piece evolving from this stage but I have finally done enough paintings now to know that it isn't necessary to freak out--I have learned to have faith and trust in the process. I call this stage the ghost dog and I can hardly wait to see where it goes from here...

...and this is where it went...to layer number two. She looks spooky with those white eyes but while some artists prefer to do the eyes first, my preference is to focus on them later.

I am having my frustrations with the use of the black. It is a non-staining pigment so new layers tend to disturb the under layers and Indie is going to require multiple layers!  Also, the nose in the photo is not well defined so I may have to fudge it a bit, hopefully not enough to make a difference to her likeness.

Okay, so onward and upward. Catch you at Entry #3 to see how it goes from here.  ~C

ENTRY #1 :)

Indie is a beautiful black German Shepherd with mesmerizing eyes. She belongs to a friend of my amazing niece Kelly and Kelly has asked me to paint her as a gift to her friend.

Indie with her Stuffy

She looks so sweet with her stuffy in her mouth and I can see why Kelly would choose this photo as a painting. I am anxious to get started as this will be a labour of love and I only hope I can portray a good likeness of Indie.

I will be using Arches hot press paper, 140 lb and the finished dimensions will be approximately 12 x 16 inches. The paper has been soaked and is on the board (stapled and taped) where it will dry and stretch in the process. But first things first--the sketch. This will be done on plain paper then copied to transfer paper after which the sketch is then applied directly onto the water colour paper. 

Transfer Paper Showing Sketch

The colour palette for Indie will consist of a minimum of colours, black being the main one. In order to get depth to Indie's fur, the black I use will actually be a mix of two pigments--Winsor Newton French Ultramarine Blue and Daniel Smith Burnt Sienna. I don't have a pink for the stuffy so on the weekend I will make a run into Nanaimo to Iron Oxide Art Supplies and pick up a Daniel Smith Rose Madder. I'm hoping that will be a close shade.

Alright, so my paper will be dried, stretched and ready to go in the morning. Catch you later at Entry #2.  ~C