Yuppers finally got to my second grand doggie pet portrait. I introduced you to this beautiful girl a few post back. She is such a lover and when she looks at you with those big blue eyes….I’m telling ya….you just melt and get all gooey inside!
I’m playing around a bit in the background…wanted to have a bit more texture and life to it. Not sure yet if I like it, may prove to be too distracting to the portrait itself. But….I’ll wait till I have a bit more of Mesha filled in before making that decision. Right now I’m working pretty fast, just starting to build the basic shapes and indicate hair direction with washes of color. This is being done on a 12 x 12, 1-5/8 inch cradled wood panel with my beloved acrylics. I had been using cradled gessoboard, but was not happy with the level of surface prep. So I decided to buy the ‘raw’ board and do my own. I sand first and then apply a coat of matt medium, sand again and apply two coats of gesso (sanding after each coat). I then added another coat of a mix of 50/50 matt medium and water. I have found that when I apply my washes to the gesso surface, the gesso really ‘grabs’ the paint and makes it difficult to move around. By ‘sealing’ the gesso with the medium, I give myself a little extra ‘play time’! Comments and questions….always welcome!
Wow, what a beautiful job. That face is so realistic!
My mom always talks about the wonders of gesso too Debbie. While it’s a mystery world to me I am delighted to learn that others feel the same. I am delighted to see that Buster is getting a new pal. Can’t wait to see the further unfolding of Mesha. Will you keep them or offer them up for sale?
Wow! That’s almost as much prep as weaving. What a handsome dog and a lucky dog, too, to be painted by you!
Seems to me your prep process is way more time consuming then mine….but maybe that is because I have never weaved and it all looks so complicated to a novice like me! Thanks for the lovely compliment…..I do so love to paint animal portraits!
Oh Mesha is looking fabulous already in your portrait! I love your work-in-progress shares and can’t wait to see more. Although prepping your board sounds like a lot of work, I imagine it really helps you tune into the project and your subject – a kind of way to start intentionally infusing the energies.
I’m so happy you love watching my process as I do so love to share it! The prep can be a pain sometimes, but I know I”m so much happier in the end knowing I started on solid ground! And yes…..it does start getting my “head in the game” so to speak…LOL!
I can’t wait to see Mesha’s portrait develop! She’s a beautiful dog, and you have a knack for capturing the spirit and life of the animal — as well as their sense of humor. Looking forward to more!
Thank you Harmony! That means a lot to me. I put so much love and energy into each and every portrait…nice to know you can see that.