Get creative with me!
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?
She asked for flowers on a table, an open book, a stack of books – tea, and soft pretty colors. I worked up a sketch first, which she approved. I then created a watercolor painting from the sketch, which is hers to keep. Once I scanned in the painting, I re-watercolored it digitally to enhance the pretty pastels and soften up the artifacts that scan in with “real” artwork, and what you’re seeing here is a 1/3 scale version of the full sized web-ready painting.
It’s a very unique way of branding, I think, original artwork goes digital. I really enjoyed working this up as it turned into a nice cozy and feminine piece, and it was good to get out the watercolors again.
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.
I am now an official iStock photographer.
the iStockphoto administrators have determined that your images are commercially and technically ready for iStockphoto.com.
Awesome WordPress plugin of the day: WP Easy Admin. This presents a fixed menu at the top of the blog when you’re logged in (admin only) so you can access any item in the dashboard right from your blog. WooT!
Welp folks, I did it – I submitted some of my photography to iStock for consideration. If approved, my photography will be available for use through iStock, and maybe I’ll see it floating around in print or used in blog designs. Wouldn’t that be cool?
“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!”
(…at least I hope so! Cross something! Quick!)
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…
