Leopard and Sassy

I have been working on the leopard and I am just not happy with the way things are going…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nose seems to be a major stumbling point for me….it is just not quite right.  I decided to take a bit of a break from this painting and work on something a little more familiar.  The leopard will be back….I just need some time away.  Also I have signed up to do an Art/Craft show next month and I really need to have a pet portrait available for folks to view.   So, without further ado, allow me to introduce to you the fabulous “Sassy Girl”.

Sassy is one of my “grand-doggies” and she is a real sweety!  I love her bunches…how could you not with a face like that! 

Here is my quick sketch…just the basics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here you can see I have started placing washes of color on the ear….using Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, and Burnt Sienna.  I’m establishing the basic “shapes” of color and value and also getting a sense for the direction of hair growth.  I have also used a wash of Black to start building the nose area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this Photo I am still defining shapes of color and bringing up the values.  I can see that I need to make a few corrections….the lightest area towards the top of the ear has grown a little to large and I’ll make that correction by building and enlarging the shadow area next to it.

I hope this helps you in your paintings…..seeing the shapes, rather then the image.  I try not to focus on the whole, but the shapes, colors, and textures within the whole.  You do have to “step back” occasionally and make sure the all those individual shapes relate and balance together, but overall I find it much easier to work in smaller sections.  It takes a bit of practice, but eventually you will be able to see all those little shapes of value and color.  Another very important thing to pay close attention to is the direction of the growth of the hair…those little strokes aid in bringing to life all the different planes of the face.