Diesel is finished!

Here is Diesel's Step-By-Step collage.

The lower right hand corner shows the actual photo from which I worked.

Here is Diesel's portrait!  

May he rest in peace. 

Just a quick note.  Diesel's owner, Brittany, like all other clients put half down as payment, and since I was working on another portrait, patiently waited until I got to start Diesel.  That down payment kept her with a secure place in line of when her portrait would be done.  I kept in constant contact with her via email.  She said that it will make her miss him all the more, but at the same time keep him closer to her.  And it's true, by having a pet portrait created you are paying a tribute to the wonderful relationship between you and the pet.  

The funny part is as soon as I sent her the final portrait, I wondered if she liked it, and she didn't answer except to say she loves it, and I have NEVER received a payment via paypal so quick as I did with Brittany.  It was so fast, I was still typing a reply to her last email!  

Another happy customer!  Nice thing is she said she will promote it not only on her Facebook page but on a few dog sites she belongs to.  What a truly nice thing to do!  Word of mouth is the absolute best advertising any artist could dream of having!  

Next?  A dog named Kota, who was a Police K9, which was injured on the job, and is still in recovery after surgery.  Kota is a German Shepard.  

After that, another memorial portrait of a Wheaten Terrier named Dillon.  

You can see more of my work on my new website (which will soon be enlarged), at:

http://kathleenevekelly.homestead.com

Diesel...drawn, beyond and a little more.

DIESEL

STEP-BY-STEP

Drawn in.

Start the eyes.

Start the nose.

Start the mouth.

Start the body.

Start the ears.

Notice I typed in "start" because that's what it is, a start of something more to work on!  I lay in the foundation of the parts and then go back in later to refine it.  

Next?  The overall blackness of the dog, showing the shine.  

Long way to go!

Diesel...he is drawn!

Meet 

"DIESEL"

Diesel is my current commission artwork to create as a memorial portrait.  

Here's a few other photos of Diesel...he sure was a cute dog!

(I'll be using this photo for reference since the photo I chose to work from is fairly dark.)

Looks like he liked ice cream!  Isn't it funny how you see the dots on his face in this photo from where his hairs came out from but not on the other photos?  Hmmm...should I put them in or not?  

I was going back and forth between these two photos for different reasons.  The one above really shows detail...but he didn't look so happy.

The one below, his head is chopped off, and although he looks happy, you don't see the sheen in his coat.  So I opted to do the one of him ''smiling", and work with these other photos as reference.  

No doubt this will make it harder, but I like challenges.  

So tonight, after a long day of errands, I started Diesel.  It's just a drawing, but I started.

For those of you who have followed me, know I will work on the eyes first, and probably the nose or mouth, and work from there on, but I thought it may be fun for a change to show a little more to how I make decisions with my painting techniques.  

I like to have the photo area I'm working from enlarged so I can see what I'm working on.  I use my iPad to zone in on detail.  As you can tell, his actual photo of him smiling is when he was in a crouched position playing, so I had to tilt his head up a bit to make it look more realistic.  

Here is the other photo (shown on my iPad) which I'll be using as reference.  

Using an iPad for my portrait work is so helpful.  I wish I could say I figured this out for myself, but I learned it from another artist.  That is why I SHARE so much of my art knowledge, it is always nice to learn something new.  Many artists aren't like that, they feel they need to protect themselves from others stealing from them...but I'm an open book.  If you have a question ask.  If I don't know the answer, I'll ask enough people who will know and get back to you.  

Diesel will be a pastel portrait.  Right now his overall size is 12" X 12".  Which should make it fairly easy for the owner to get framed.  If the owner just gets a mat cut the right way, she should be able to find a decent sized frame.  I always try to make the portraits about this size, it truly depends on the breed of the dog, and the photos from which I have to work.  

Barley Step-by-Step Collage

Barley is finished! NEXT!!!???!!!!

 

Barley is finished!  (Well, he needs to dry...and then I varnish it and send him home to his owners.)  

He will be proudly displayed in his master's office.  I will post pictures of that when I receive them from the owners.  

For now, here's what it looks like from the side.

It is a 12" X 12" Gallery Wrapped canvas. 

The owners did not have to want to worry about finding a frame.

The owners are THRILLED, they love it, and are waiting eagerly to have Barley in their possession.  They liked it so much they gave me a "tip", which is such a compliment.

If you would like a portrait just like this of your dog, the price is $400.  

I give you updates via email all the way through the process.  There is always time for changing things as they progress into the final painting.  

To see others I've done, go to my newly formed website for pet portraits.

http://kathleenevekelly.homestead.com

Now...next is "Deisel" who has passed so this is a memorial portrait.  The owner has been patiently waiting for me to start.  See, I only do one portrait at a time.  That allows me to devote all my time and creative energy to your fur baby.  By commissioning a portrait of your pet, you will be paying a tribute to the wonderful relationship you share.  

This is Deisel...wasn't he CUTE?  

The owner told me he always smiled!  

Of all the pictures she sent me, this was the one I chose to work from and guess what?  This was the one she was hoping I'd pick.  

Stay tuned and within about a week or so, I'll have this completed!  

Barley is shaping up...nicely!

Still waiting for Barley's owner to comment on the dog's portrait.  It's okay if she takes her time as I need paint to dry.  I over looked the portrait with an eye for detail and found about 30 small changes I need to do.  It's those little changes I make, that make it look more like the subject.  It's that attention to detail that will make it look like Barley.  Then, I will put in those final touches which quite frankly are the first things the viewer sees.  Amazing eh?  Last thing I paint is the first thing seen!

For the two patient people waiting for portraits to get done, know yours are so close to being started!  (And for those that don't know, they are SPECIAL portraits because one has passed and the other is a K9 cop dog who was injured in the line of duty.)  So I just want them to know I appreciate their patience.

Right now, here is Barley as he is today on my easel.

He's looking sooooo cute, I must say.  I'm sure the owner will love it.  She said her whole house revolves around this dog, and well, I can understand why.  

Here it is from the side, she wanted the sides painted so she doesn't need to frame it.

You can just tell this dog is so spoiled but a good dog nonetheless.

Barley is drying...but will work on him again on Wednesday!

So much has to dry before I can work on him more...his nose, his muzzle, his paws, his hair, the grass...whew!  His eyes are okay for now, but I plan on reworking them to make them more soulful.  How?  Detail.  Concentrating on detail.  

The last thing to go in is the grass that falls on top of his coat.  

I will also give this a coat of varnish for shine.  

Heard from the owner and she said Marley's color is better and I've caught his soulfulness.  

And I smile...feels so good to know that.  

Two posts in one on Barley's progression.

Here is Barley shown from the front and from the side.  

He is not done yet, but I always like to show the owner the progress as I'm working on their animal's portrait.  It assures the owner I am working, and shows the customers waiting for a portrait why I haven't started theirs yet.  I like to concentrate on one at a time.   I give full devotion.

Here is a collage I made of Barley's progression so far along with a simplified description. I've been getting told that people who follow my blog like to see the way a portrait forms, and they are grateful of how I share my knowledge.  I just find it FUN!  

Additional coats on Barley and grass layered in!

Barley is progressing!

I layered in more layers of his coloring, starting to have the strokes go in the direction of his hair, and as you can see, layered in the initial layer of grass.  Long way to go on him!  

Another coat on Barley!

Barley got another coat of Yellow Ochre on his overall coat, and some Raw Sienna as well.  It looks a little orange, but that is just a step in the painting progress.  I also added in some lights and darks.  

I asked the owner if she would mind if I put Barley in a grassy area setting because I feel he's just "floating' on the canvas.  Waiting to hear back from her.  Sure I could have placed Barley lower on the canvas but he would have looked too low then.  So putting him in a grassy setting sounds pretty.  

Barley is taking form!

Starting to work on Barley.  First draw him!

I sent this photo to the customer to show her it is just the beginning and in the background is my former dog done the same size, same way...fun to see it at the beginning, and how it will develop.  

I wanted the dog to pop right away, it helps give placement to the animal, so I painted the background in acrylic which dries quickly.  I also wanted to give placement to the eyes so I gave them some quick color as well.

Now I'm starting to work in oils defining the eye and nose more.  There's so many colors on that nose, it will take a while to make it look perfect.  (I'm patient.)

I worked on the eyes a bit more, the nose a little more, started on the dog's nails, and laid in a wash of yellow ochre on the dog.  It's kind of hard to tell but I worked on this in art class.  Many people ask me why do you still take art classes?  Because I continually learn!  Besides that, it allows me three hours of being with people who like doing the same thing, the phone doesn't ring, housework doesn't call my name, it's uninterrupted time without hearing "Can you make me something to eat?", and other distractions.    

I worked on the dog's bone a little as well.  I outlined the dog a bit to show the ears and where the dog's body turns.  LONG WAY TO GO!  This needs to dry now.  During this drying time though, I study it, and look at where I can improve, what has to be done next, and other factors, like I'd like to place "Barley" in a setting perhaps in the grass with a sky background...so I'll ask the owner what she thinks.  It would make him look like he's lying on something other than floating on the canvas.  You never know what you will come up against when you start or how the painting will change.  I think having Barley lying in grass is a good idea.  

Here is a closeup of the eyes.  I think they're taking shape!   

Barley...the beginning.

I received this photo for a commissioned portrait, his name is Barley.

(Is that a cute name or what?)

The owner told me he had a "butterscotch" coloring, so immediately a red flag went up, because this photo above looked like a fawn color, and butterscotch colors can go from this color to more of an orange color, so I sent the owner a quick collage as shown below.

Sure enough, the owner assured me the photo on the right was closer to the true color of her dog.  

So yesterday I began to draw Barley on a 12" X 12" canvas which is 1" thick and is gallery wrapped since the owner didn't want to get into framing it.  

Once the owner received the picture of the drawing I did, I was told that I would be praised on Facebook for the work when it's completed and given to the recipient.

I also sent this photo of a painting I did of my former dog who was a cute little miniature English Bulldog.  His name was Cody.

Today I started my underpainting of Barley.  This is done in acrylic.  It fills in the canvas nooks and crannies a bit before oils go down, serving as a compass to see the dog better.  This is NOT the final color of the background, I plan on painting it more of a sky blue, very light, powdery blue.  

I put in some color to the eyes for placement.  I also did the dog's bone a little.  

Most customers enjoy watching the process of how I create their fur baby.  It gives them greater enjoyment of the final product too knowing all the work put into it.  I've always felt one must truly love people to do human portraits and love dogs to do dog portraits, and trust me, I've had some cute dogs to do!  This one's eyes, when you see it finished will melt your heart.  I just know it.  I can look at a dog's picture and know what will be it's best feature, and also which is the best picture from which to work.  

More tomorrow!  Oh, and I don't have to have this finished and shipped by Valentine's day, so I can enjoy the process more so and do a better job...like anything else, a job done too quickly only gets done as well as you can in the time allotted.  Nice thing is the two other portraits I have to do can now be done while I'm waiting for paint layers to dry!  It all works out in the end!!!  

Diesel...another memory portrait!

A lady contacted me on Facebook by the name of Brittney, and she's desiring a portrait in memory of her dog, "Diesel"...this is the dog...now, is this an adorable shot or what???  This will be a joy to do!  I just had to share this photo, SO cute!