Carmella Continued

I think this is where I left off yesterday.
Taken in morning light.

Taken with flash
Some detail work around tongue/mouth.

More color around mouth.

Afternoon light.
Still working around mouth.

Very distorted color and value with flash.
All colors are placed [not at finished value]
except for chain and dog tag.




 

   I must say I am quite excited about how this portrait is coming along! The last photo I took [at night] does it NO justice whatsoever. But it's getting late, it is very hard to paint with blacks at night, and I am working as a dental hygienist tomorrow. So, off to bed!

Evolution of a Yellow Lab ... or ... Miss Carmella Will Need More Time than I Thought

I started off with a fairly detailed sketch.
This is on 13 x 18 inches.

I've done the first VERY light washes of aureolin & quin. burnt orange.
The watercolor paper is 15.5 x 22.5 inches.

I had to get the eyes done, so somehow it looked a bit like a dog.
The nose has several glazes done, the tongue 2 or 3 washes, and
I have started putting in washes of a grey for shadows.

 

More intensity all round, and I found I needed more aureolin on the neck and chest. 

I took this photo in morning light today, and primarily posted it
to show the effect of different lighting.

Here I am now. And it's 11:15 PM ... time for bed.

Kouza Dogwood

After the last session, I added some cobalt blue from the bottom up

More blue

Some darkening of leaves
Also, photo taken in daylight - WHAT a difference 

Completed ... I think

   When I was at Darts Hill last June [for an art event] I had an opportunity to spend some time taking pictures before the public arrived. It was a glorious evening with perfect lighting, so I took as many photos as I had time for. One of the "models" was an Oriental or Kouza dogwood, with a very elegant flower. Here are my photos, and my interpretation of one of the shots.

A Little Bit of This and That ...

SPRING is springing!

The gardens are starting to look like gardens.

Buds on the fruit trees.

Bruno catching some rays.

WHAT a SWEET face!

Having a munch in his shed [very bright, and over-exposed]

Still munching

   It was a glorious day yesterday, warm and sunny, and unpredicted as such by weather forecast which made it even more special. Everyone was outside, walking, gardening, enjoying the gorgeous weather. Myself, I went for a walk with Pat and the dogs, did some garden neatening with my aunt, and groomed the BrunZ [got almost another horse in hair!] Did a bit of painting, but I'll put that in the next post. Today it was overcast, and right now it is raining so hard, I'm wondering if I should see about starting an ark for the beasties. Such is spring weather.

Guess What? ... Another Process

Value/composition sketch

Start on leaves with "home made" greens

More leaf glazing, and start flower center

Shadows on flowers. Will need deepening.
Background wet-in-wet wash of aureolin

Another very wet-in wet wash of permanent rose 

   I've played with this off and on for the last two days. It's not bad, but almost everything will need more depth ... more shadowing. The background will remain very simple, with more wet/wet washes of probably an orange and some blue, darker at the bottom and gradually lightening at the top. "Carmella" is coming along, and that process will be posted later. Please feel free to comment or ask questions.

A Break from Painting ... or ... A Farmish Interlude

Hondas are great ... low on gas consumption

And you can get 5 bales of hay in the back!

Bruno knows the routine

And gets out the gate, onto the lower back lawn

The little beast in Bruno's shed/stall

Ready to unload 5 bales

One left 

His Highness still munching on the lawn

From a previous encounter with Bruno's teeth

The Honda looks so cute in the barn

And the mess when I'm done

   I had to run out and get some soft, tasty grass hay for the lad today. He does have his taste preferences, and it must be quite soft, as his teeth are a bit weird. I think he must have been kicked in the head [really] when he was young, as the alignment at the mid-line is off by about 10 millimeters, and his molar occlusal plane is irregular as well, so I have to be a bit choosy about his hay.

   Anyway, that's my break from painting. I'm working on three right now - a smallish floral, a dog portrait, and a "fun" painting for one of my sisters of the old neighborhood in Vancouver. I'll be posting some painting updates as they're done.

Miss Carmella

working sketch
17 x 12 inches

   I've been working on and off all day prepping this sketch to paint. I previously did a small painting, mostly to work out the color scheme, and it was approved by Rhonda, the owner. I also was told the story of how Carmella received her lumpy head. She was caught in a situation with a three-year-old girl and an upset horse. It ultimately came down to Carmella or the child, and Carmella decided to save the girl, and take the flailing hooves herself. Such is the way of all good dogs!! She ended up with five stitches and a very large bump on top of her head.