To view progress within the category, click here.

Looking at the last work in progress shot compared to this one, you can see how I’ve used the underpainting as a base for his right ear and his chest. I have most of the wave & curl laid down now, and once this layer is dry I will apply the final layer which will further enhance each curl, deepen and lighten his coat all the way around. Then I’ll sign him. (I don’t ever sign my pieces until they meet my own standards!)

So, basically one more layer which will be a very thin one just for highlights and lowlights, to really bring out each hair as much as possible.

You might want to look at these in the category view so you can see the differences without scrolling much.

You can see the differences between this one and the last around his muzzle. I deepened the shadows in his left ear and started working on his right ear a little bit, but with the way his ear hair curls up over his left ear, I have to finish his left ear first. (It will be dry tomorrow.)

I’ve been working on Rusty, and thought I’d share the work in progress. I’m still nowhere near finished with him, but wanted to point out some differences between his underpainting and what I’ve been working on.

You can see from the underpainting that there are obviously none of the final details. The way I work my portraits are such that the first layer of color is a basecoat, and they are the deepest colors that I can see on the photograph I’m working from. On the current work in progress shot, I’ve only worked on his neck behind his ear, the top of his head, I’ve roughed in more of his eye, darkened his nose and layered the next coat of fur around his eyes and muzzle. I haven’t even touched his ear from before, so you can see the difference between what I’ve worked on, and what will be getting another layer of paint. (Actually, there will be two more layers of paint before he’s finished.)

Anyway, I’ve been suffering from a large artistic block, and I’m trying to work through it. They happen, not very often but they do. I motivated myself a little bit today after picking up a new chair from Dick Blick, and praying like crazy before I cranked the tunes in the studio.

I am not working on webcam, sorry folks.

I just completed Adriana’s portrait, I am so much more pleased with this color scheme on her!! Aaah. I’ll post scans after she’s dry.

My palette: Burnt Umber, Flesh, Naples Yellow Light/White

I told you I was painting. See? Here’s Adriana’s head. Wierd lookin’, yes, she has no body. You’d look wierd too if your body was just a sketch. heh.

😛

I’ve just completed making all of the 4×4 paintings patriotic! (That was part of the deal.) I’ll go back and add highlights and lowlights and stuff to give them dimension. Aren’t they fun??

Here’s the mousey background, I’m doing a pretty drastic dropshadow on it cause it’s going to be a very 3-d comin-off-the-canvas kinda mouse!

Here’s the background color scheme for Sissy’s portrait. The darkened right side will balance the shadow on that side of her portrait. I’m not sure I like the drop shadow on the ledge yet, I’ll wait until it dries and see how I like it, probably tweak it more.

I did get a few more sketches done today, the top two are from the 4×4 countdown (one upgraded to 5×7). The goobly gobbly one is CAKE. Yes I’m gonna paint a cake. MMM. And if you’re nice to me and post a whole bunch, I’ll share the recipe with you. heh.

This one is Sissy, she’s a white kitty and will be a nice dramatic portrait since she’s got really beautiful long white fur. Her left eye looks strange right now because I just outlined where it will appear to be. There is a beautiful drop shadow cast on her left side, she will actually have a similar (and reversed) shading effect of Into The Light.