Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Beginnings of a Dog Portrait

dog portrait by Lori Levin
Here is a quick glimpse of the start of one of the commissions I am working on at the moment. Not only are the easels full but my drawing table is as well. I would like to share the others with you but they are gifts and I would hate to ruin anyone's surprise. As soon as the gifts are given I will share the pictures with you.

This is Summer and I showed the photo of her in a previous post. At this stage I have worked out all composition, color and lighting issues in sketches and on the computer. I trace my final sketch onto canvas and then draw on top of it with thinned cadmium red oil paint to not only seal the drawing but to fix any last minute drawing issues. This also helps me feel of the rhythm of the work. It is like a warm up to exercise. Now I feel like I know my subject and I'm ready to paint. Oil painting is forgiving in that you can make mistakes however; I prefer not to put a brushstroke down until I know it will be right. This always results in a more lively and fresh painting but requires intense concentration.

Today's thank you goes out to everyone that reads my blog. The numbers increase almost daily. Not only do people take the time out of their busy day to read my endless ramblings but they also send me lovely emails commenting on what I have written. Thank you.

No comments: