Just a quick update on ACE, I’ve bordered out his chunky 4″ x 4″ canvas edge with a rich milk chocolate color, and will work on his under painting today. Looking forward to painting his gorgeous green eyes!Order a custom portrait today, prices start at just $55!

Mari’s second work in progress (see the sketch and her reference photo here), her mom liked the background on another cat portrait I completed back in 2005 of Nicki, so I’ve used similar shades on Mari’s. It’s showing a bit more red than it is, the color will be more accurate once I can balance it against her under painting.

Will update again when her under painting is complete!

I started Cuddles portrait earlier this week (view the first work in progress here), sketching out her pose and adding wings, since Cuddles has passed over the rainbow bridge.

Her mom wanted a beautiful sunset of pinks and yellow to fill the background of this 8″ x 8″ portrait, so I did a nice gradation of warm colors (winsor yellow, cadmium orange, magenta, violet, a little white and a smidge of french ultramarine), painting the deep gallery wrapped sides of the portrait in a mix of magenta and violet. I worked in the window sill as well and will start on her under painting as soon as this is dry.

If you’re interested in commissioning me to paint (or draw) a custom pet portrait for you, I’ve added several sizes to my shop, to allow everyone to find a size that will fit into their budget. You can order a custom portrait package directly from my shop, checking out securely through PayPal!

Here’s ACE (Andy’s Cat Extraordinaire), zoomed up close and tightly cropped on a 4″ x 4″ chunky canvas. I’ll be painting his portrait in oils, similarly to Annie, Momo & Callie’s portraits.

If you’d like a piece of original art at a really reasonable price, this size is just perfect. I’ve made a 4″ x 4″ portrait package available in my shop to make it easy to check out (using paypal) for just $55. Click here to order yours!

Meet Cuddles, a tuxedo with really neat markings across her face and nose. She had a wonderful, blessed life with her loving family and passed away last fall after 22 years! I’ve given Cuddles her wings, and she’ll continue to watch over her momma for years to come.

I’ll be painting Cuddles’ portrait in oils, she’s on an 8″ x 8″ chunky canvas (Want your own? See my portrait package available in my shop for just $192!).

More progress to come!

This gorgeous orange and white tabby is Mari. She’s a beauty – such soft fur, I can just imagine how silky it feels under my hand! I’ll be painting her in oils on a 5″ x 7″ canvas panel over the next week or two. (Purchase your own 5″ x 7″ custom portrait right here in my shop!)

I’ve worked up 3 out of 4 portrait sketches yesterday, the 4th is a cat portrait that I’ll be doing in graphite/pencil so I won’t be sketching, I’ll just do the whole portrait in one session.

The portrait above, an 8″ x 8″ oil painting, is a custom portrait of my client’s pit bull terrier, Josie, who passed away last summer. This piece is still wet on my easel – and I took progress photos throughout my entire painting session today, about 6 hours.

I thought I’d show you the entire progress of Josie’s portrait, from start to finish. If you’d like to watch her come to life on canvas, just keep reading! For those who are just learning how to paint fur, this may help you learn my process, and understand the detail and layering involved in achieving better dimension in your own paintings.

Keep reading »

This is the last progress shot of Josie’s portrait – just the underpainting.
Posting this so you can quickly refer back to see the eye progress:

The eyes are complete, ready for fur – starting from the left:

I’ve gone halfway across her head, and wanted to share what it looks like from underpainting to actual fur.

You can see previous progress shots here. I’ll be working on her portrait more tomorrow – so I’ll share more progress, or better yet – the finished painting!

Don’t forget to enter to win a custom portrait in my weekly giveaway!!

I’ve just completed Josie’s underpainting, you can see her previous progress shot here. Since her coat is so dark, I started with a pretty dark base. I blended indigo and raw umber together for the deepest shadows, and it looks like there’s some reflection on the wet paint – so the photo might be a bit misleading. There will be many layers of fur to come, once this underpainting has a day or two to dry.

As for me – I’m fighting a cold (it’s winning, so far) so I’m drowning myself in Spice Chai Tea with honey and lemon, and trying to stay quiet. (That’s no easy task, let me tell you!!)

Will update again soon with another new tiny painting.

Don’t forget to enter to win a custom portrait in my weekly giveaway!!