I love to paint and enjoy painting a large variety of subjects. One area I try to avoid is painting animals and people...nothing with a face, basically. I don't know why, but I just never gained any confidence in that area. I have decided it is time to do something about this irrational fear. I am starting with my cute puppy, Jinx- I might as well start with something I like, right? The main problem with painting people and animals, isn't making them look like a person or an animal- it is trying to capture their unique personality. I know I can paint a dog, but will it look like MY dog? My other concern is the black fur and trying to give it texture without painting every curl and wave on her head. In the photo, her left eye isn't really visible so I am changing that- even though we rarely see her eyes unless we are outside and the sun is on her face! This is my progress so far today, after about an hour (including the drawing). I am starting with getting some of the shading in so I can see a shape. I will post the finished watercolor tomorrow and welcome any helpful tips.
Thanks for looking!
Sheryl
Looking good so far, Sheryl!
ReplyDeleteHints and tips, I would say always leave a white highlight on the nose and in the eyes - it help bring sparkle to the portrait. For blacks, I use a sticky mix of French ultra and burnt sienna :)
I can't wait to see the progress. I like Pat's tips above as well and will keep that in mind also.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips, Pat- You do such a great job with dogs!
ReplyDeleteGretchen, we can learn so much from each other!