Duoble-in-one

I am kicking on the double-in-one portraits lately! It was a new thing for me when I painted my first double-in-one portrait of the "briard dogs". Then came the little Scottie's and then this one! It can be hard to do these portraits becuase you need to make sure not only one, but both of the animals stand out to your eye. That BOTH are at their best! You also need to make sure that the background fits two dogs, if they are totally different or not. That usually takes a couple nights in bed for me to think it out. Brain storming in bed is the best time to think, it brings me to sleep, and you may even come up with a good idea! Bed time is my thinking time! These two were hard becuase they are two totally different colors, the background was a good pick I think. This portrait was done on a 12x12. The best size to do double-in-one portraits. Of course doing a big potraits is also good for two animals on one canvas.

More updates coming soon!

Briard dogs

Oh how I loved doing these Briard dogs! These have been one of the funnest portraits I have done. I think it is becuase of their whispy shaded hair. With the horse I just did, it also has whispy hair. Another thing is, they usually have light shining on them. So when I do the hair, I do a double brush. So, lets say it's a blue/ black color like Ulani, on the right. I first squirt some black out, then squirt some blue out. I get some of the black from the first squirt, and mix the color of blue I like. I tend to make the right color of each color before mixing together. Instead of just mixing the blue from the bottle into the black, I mix in some black into the blue before I mix them together. I am really not sure if it has any impact anyways. Sometimes I put a little purple in with my right color of blue, this makes it a little deeper, and maybe a little more rich. Once I get the best color I can get. I squirt some white out, not into my blue/ black mixture though. If I did just mix the white in with my blue/ black misture, then it would become a washed out white color, almost like a baby blue. It might be nice in some cases, but not in this case. So this is the double brush part I was telling you about. I get a full, but thin brush, and dip into my blue/ black mixture, then I brush it over the white, enough that it got a nice thick streek on the bottom of the brush. Then I do what I do on the canvas. Brush it in the way of the hair. And once you look back at it, it will be a perfect shading mark. White smoothly brushed over the base color. Perfect! Another good way of doing the light shading is to do your base color, and wait until is dries. Then brush the white over it, this is not the double brush technique though. It make more of an over the top kind of shading. The double brush is more of mixed in white, but still making the shading affect!

New horse portrait

This the only horse portrait I have done so far. This one I got done in one day, not doing it for anyone, just felt like painting that day! That day it was a Sunday and I had no school work in my way. In this portrait the key thing was to get the shading down. In the picture there was major shading, and I had to get it right. On the left side of the horse, it was the major shading, then towards the ridge of the nose it started getting light again. So when you look at it you can reall tell where the light is coming from. I was also suprised when I got the affect of the round eyes. If you look at the horse, the eyes look quite rounded. When I did the eyes I pretty mugh split them in half and it was all with the brush stroke. The eyes of a horse are also partly on the side, so I was kind of trying to get the effect of it going on the side of the face.

If you were wondering what horse is on here, his name is King. He stays at a riding stable in Niles MI. I ride/lease him for the summer, and dearly miss him since I will not be leasing in the winter. He is an Arabian breed of horse and very sweet.
When I took the photo it was my last day going to ride him for the year. It was a beautiful fall day, sunset and he was munching with his buds in the pasture. I brought my sister's great camera, and was planning on taking a picture for this portrait just above. So as I walk out to him with his halter and lead rope, he lifts his head, and then just goes back to munching. Side to side, munch, munch, munch. I turn on the camera and most of the other horses in King's pasture came to the sound of the clicking. One of them ( a retired race horse) sniffs the camera and shoos King away. Then munches right where King had. So I took a couple of him too. I go back to King and try to get a good clear picture of him. He just keaps on munching. I got a good face on one that is the one I used for this portrait, and was very happy with it.

Completing portraits

Finishing a portrait feels real good! Getting it just how I like it and how my customer would too. All of the details and the outlining, you just have to feel happy!
Usually when I am finishing a portrait, I have to look back at it and see....... needs some touch-ups there and here. Also, I usually get some input from my family. Then I usually give the background another coat depending on what color I choose. Orange, and red have been the naughty ones! They usally show thrue to the white canvas. So they are usually the ones with the double coat.Others I sometimes give an extra coat for the true looks of it.

If you go down, you will see a picture of a couple of dogs and an orange background. Well, just finished it today and it turned out fabulously!     

Shading/different colors portrait

This portrait is a good example of a portrait I did for a lady. It has many different colors, different shading, and look at the background appose to the dog!This portrait was done a 12x12 canvas, square and is not a hanger canvas, more like a lean up canvas. Of course you can put hooks on the backs too. The 8x10 has a sticking out wood frame so it will hang on a hook in the wall perfectly!

The process

Hi,
Here are some photos of my process on painting a portrait, and a little info!
Just to start from the WAY beginning, you have to send me a photo of your pet (in a cute pose of course!).

Then I sketch the picture of your animal on a canvas, your choice if you would like a 8x10 or a 12x12. Here is a picture of a two dogs I am doing on a 14x10, I. These sizes I do not have in stock, but bought it anyways becuase I am fitting two dogs on it. This is my newest commision that I have not finished yet.Then I do the background. Which is always a solid color, sometimes with a sliver or two of a different color. I tell which color I am going to use by looking at the color of the dog, and the eyes. The dogs in this portrait are going to be black, I thought that orange makes black stick out. The eyes are dark brown, thought that orange would match up a little with the eyes.Then I color in the ears, nose and then the rest of the body. I shade and add different colors depending on what I see in the photo! Here is a finished one.