Pet Portraits and Wildlife Art

Well this is what I've been up to. I'm at a fair this coming weekend so after looking through my display items I found I was seriously lacking in the horse portraits department so I got on with this little number. I did get on with it at a rate of knots so the progress shots are shown below. My only thoughts now are whether or not I should add a background, just a subtle graduated background instead of plain white...I'm not too sure....

Oscar looks slightly odd at the moment because the underneath of his chin is missing so he seems to have a slightly narrow pointed muzzle.

As mentioned in my last post, I'm discovering this support is not suited to blending really as fine detail is lost. I've been using derwent coloursofts and prismacolours which are really creamy pencils but have now spent quite a while sorting out all of my pencils back into brand types and the leonberger will be completed with derwent artists and studio pencils to see if finer details can be portrayed when using drier and harder pencils which don't blend quite so easily.

So things have moved on a little with Oscar's portrait and the ear is now starting to take shape. It's surprising how many colours make up any fur, although this is a liver and white spaniel I can see pinks, chocolates, blacks, even a touch of purple here and there and that is why it takes so long to produce any sort of art. Even graphite portraits contain hundreds of shades of grey, each of which must be added to ensure a realistic feel.

I'm now beginning to find out the pitfalls of this pastel paper, and although I love the ready made background shades, I'm finding it a little too rough to show fine pencil lines. I want to show individual hairs on he ears but the roughness means the fine lines are being lost and layering is giving a more smooth finish. This isn't wrong by any means but my fine detail type of work is maybe not so suited to this type of paper, but then again I may like the softer portrait it will produce so perhaps my style just needs to change a little. It is a much faster support to work on I find which I cannot explain but the speed with which the portrait is shaping up is fantastic. Anyway, I've now gotten hold of the leonberger photo and I can't wait to start it so I'll need to crack the whip and get on with Oscar.

As promised, the first instalment of Oscar the springer spaniel. This is to be a birthday gift but it isn't a surprise as the birthday boy chose his present!

Oscar is a working spaniel and is 5 years old. He only has eyes for his Dad and is quite aloof with anyone else so I've been told.

His owner has always had springers for beating and picking up but it seems Oscar is by far the most intelligent and obedient, thus his owner absolutely adores him and wants a lasting reminder of his most precious dog.

After Oscar I'm hoping to begin work on a leonberger, my first portrait of this breed so that should be fun!

Well I did get back into the swing of things and Bramble is now completed. I've already started a springer spaniel for a birthday gift and I am able to blog it so will do so soon. We are off to Monmouth show tomorrow and then Kington tractor show on Saturday so Willow and myself will be ambling around fields watching Ronnie pick through rusty tractor parts as usual!