I’ve added a detail shot of Emily’s face below, so keep on reading. For anyone interested in having your own custom portrait done, you can view my custom portrait packages here in my shop. You can quick-order by selecting a size and checking out through Paypal right here.
I’ve completed Emily’s underpainting today – the shadow of her white fur is basically what you’re looking at. I also roughed in her eyes, nose and mouth. They will be further enhanced with the next layer of paint. I’ll set the fan on her tonight so that I can speed up dry time and if all goes well, I’ll finish her portrait tomorrow.
I’ve added a few zoomed-in detail shots of the completed portrait below, so keep on reading. Also, a few of you have contacted me about having your own custom portrait done, and I’ve made up some custom portrait packages in my shop to make the ordering process easier. You can have a look at the available sizes here.
One of the deepest hues in the grass is Olive, which can sometimes take longer to dry than Indigo (which is my “black”), so I have to be really patient while I’m working on these oil paintings. If I continue on too early, I could strip the very thin layer all the way back down to the canvas, and repairing it just lengthens the process. I do use a medium which speeds up dry time (otherwise the oils would take 2 weeks or more to dry! Ouch! I’m not that patient!), depending on the color, it can take anywhere between 24-72 hours for each layer to dry.
There’s a little bit of “Painting in Oils” info for you – you’re taking notes, right?
Lacy’s portrait is almost complete. This is the “proof”, where Lacy’s mom gets a larger digital image of the painting and has a closer look at the details and has the option of requesting any revisions to the painting. This also gives me the opportunity as the artist to step away for the evening, allow the portrait to dry a bit, and make any additional revisions that I see needed in the morning before I sign her – the final act in completing a painting!
I know I’m a little biased, but *woof* I wanna fluff this pup right up. She must have 3 inches worth of depth to her fur! And her eyes – I could gaze into them all day.
Good girl, Lacy. Good girl. :pats on head:
Once she’s totally complete, the painting will have time to dry, it will get a nice coat of gloss varnish, I’ll scan the piece and you’ll see a much better representation of her portrait. Stay tuned, that usually takes a couple of days – so I should have the final scan images up for your viewing pleasure on Friday.
I’ve worked a bit more on Lacy today, this time deepening the ears, eyes, nose and mouth. If all goes well and this is pretty dry tomorrow afternoon, I’ll start working on her fur and possibly finish up her portrait by Wednesday.
This is Lacy’s underpainting, sitting beside the photo I’m working from. You can see she’s a beautiful white American Eskimo, and her portrait will reflect that as I add more layers of fur. Right now, she’s the color that I see under that top layer of fur. Since I paint so thin, this layer will dry and then I’ll begin applying thousands of fine brushstrokes, building layer upon layer of fur until I reach the whitest whites in her portrait. I’ll also be enhancing her eyes and nose, deepening and brightening the color and – as is the very last thing I do with every portrait – applying lashes and whiskers.
To be continued…
Two white dogs portraits in the studio – Lacy is also an 8×10 and will be painted in oils.
Stay tuned for more studio progress this week!
