Pet Portrait ppt

Colors are close, but not true; I can spend only so much time on correcting the scans, and we're talking about the overall process... Stage 1 I start with a light pencil sketch on the b

Pet Portrait

People keep asking me: "How do you do it?" Especially beginning artists are often floundering, struggling with how and where to begin Colored pencil seems like an easy medium to use, but to achieve any kind of mastery, it can become exceedingly difficult and unforgiving There is only so much erasing you can do before the board or paper no longer yields the pigments without damage, and blending and layering can easily result in "mud."

So, here I am going to present the basic process I use, although it will vary with each piece Other artists work differently, but this is how my technique evolved over the years

The subject: while I am working from a photo, this is one of my dogs, so it

helps to have her sitting next to me as I work In any project, a good

reference photo or two will go a long way toward a successful piece of art

Image size: 12" x 16" This is a common size for pet portraits and one that

yields the desired results in a reasonable amount of time I'll try to keep track

of that time, too

Medium: Prismacolor Colored Pencils

Note: the images of each stage are large to show better detail (30-50k) If

you are on a slow connection, they will take a while to load Colors are

close, but not true; I can spend only so much time on correcting the scans, and we're talking about the overall process I will list the colors I use in each

step

Stage 1

I start with a light

pencil sketch on the

board, with as few

lines as possible

Depending on my

reference photos, I

sometimes spend

considerable time

working out the

proportions on

paper, then

transferring the final

version to the board

I use various types

of illustration board

or, as in this case,

colored matboard

(Crescent # 1024, a

bluish gray) Bristol

board is about the

lightest I work on

In this image, I've

started to block in the dog's outline in two colors: Sepia and Goldenrod The lower portion still shows the graphite pencil outline I erase the pencil marks as I go along, because the graphite will dirty whatever colors I lay over it

Stage 2

The entire image is

now blocked in, and

I've added two more

colors to hint at the

highlights: White

and Cream At this

stage, I get an

overall feel on how

the picture works I

start to see the

personality and

expression of the

animal If I am

dissatisfied, I might

start over at the

sketch stage,

adjusting the areas I

feel are weak Not a

great loss, because I

haven't invested that

much time yet, in

this case about 1 ½

hours (could be

considerably more if

I am working from

poor photos)

Next, I will detail

the eyes and face,

my second "check

point."

Stage 3

The eyes and face

make or break the

portrait At this

stage, I work slowly

and cautiously This

is also where an

understanding of

anatomy (like the

flews and the lay of

the hair), from study

and observation,

particularly comes

in handy Without it,

I would not be able

to extrapolate the

necessary detail

from some of the

poor photos I often

work from

New colors: Dark

Brown, Dark

Umber, Burnt

Ochre, Sienna

Brown, Mineral

Orange, Black,

Jasmine, Cool Grey

90%, Cool Grey

10%, French Grey

90%, French Grey

50%, Cloud Blue,

Raw Umber, Yellow

Ochre, Light Peach

Time: About 2

hours

From here on, I

pretty much work

from the top down,

laying down more

and more color and

detail The muzzle

needs more work, as

(The colors in this scan are closer to true than the previous ones)

does most of the

face

Stage 4

Stepping back As

the portrait

progresses, I step

back often (about

three to four feet, or

more when I work

on larger pieces) to

view the entire

effect It's easy to

get lost in the detail,

and stepping back

provides a way of

checking the work

New colors: at this

stage I pretty much

work with what I've

used so far I might

add different

percentage greys,

like French Grey

50%, but by now I have a fair grip on the palette for this piece, which also allows me to work under artificial

"daylight",

particularly in the short daylight hours

of winter I did add Bronze as I started working the belly area

Time: couldn't keep

track of it, but

somewhere between 8-10 hours; it will take at least another two hours to reach stage 5

Artistic Interpretation The photos supplied by clients are often small,

unclear, and of the wrong color, which is why I ask for several Even when I take my own, as in this case, the pose may be perfect, but the lighting less than ideal, the exposure wrong, the wrong film, or any number of problems Knowing the subject as intimately as I do, I've adjusted for the photo's

shortcomings, as well as for faded colors in the dog's neck area (where a distinct black band earned her her name) I can't always do that with

someone else's pet, but multiple photos, taken under a variety of

circumstances and lighting, as well as interviews with the client and/or

observing the pet at home (if possible) will usually yield a fairly accurate image of the animal I am working on

To show the relationship between painting and photo I'll add a proportional side-by-side on the final page

Stage 5

Finishing touches

and removal At

the final stage, I go

over and refine

some of the details,

add shadows and

background hints to

anchor the image I

will look at the

overall color

balance; in this case,

because I felt the

light areas were too

yellow and the

mid-tones too red, I

applied a light coat

of Grayed Lavender

to those troublesome

areas to mute their

intensity As I have

done all along, I

continue to wipe

very gently the

colored pencil

Almost finished version (The colors in this scan are closer to true than the previous ones, although the background isn't quite as blue)

surface with soft tissue to remove and prevent any wax buildup (bloom) I usually wait several days before spraying with fixative to distance myself in order to detect and correct possible flaws

In this case, I am not happy with the chain collar After

spraying with

workable fixative, I will refine that

particular area Spraying prevents intrusion of adjacent colors

Additional tools used throughout: Berol Apsco Electric Sharpener;

sandpaper pad; eraser guard; plastic eraser; tissue; soft dust brush

Time: an additional hour or so Total: about 15 hours

Part of the process is knowing Knowing is the deeper understanding of an

animal An at least basic knowledge of anatomy, be it based on observation and/or study, helps in making interpretive choices My animal science studies weren't entirely wasted after all! Mammals share a lot of

characteristics across species, even down to the lay of the hair and swirls on the face, in many instances; bone structures and muscling are similar A knowledgeable artist can apply that knowledge in order to develop a piece from even the poorest photos