Monday, December 28, 2015

Man's Best Friend

Kingsley 8 x 8 oil on panel


"Indy" 6 x 6 oil on panel

"True" 6 x 6 oil on panel

"Tucker" 6 x 6 oil on panel
Lately I have been painting some dog portraits for friends, family and as commissions.
I usually ask the pet's owner to provide several close up photos of their dog so that I can choose the one that best lends itself to a portrait. Some of the things I look for are strong lighting, an interesting pose, personal items such as a special collar or dog tags or even a bandana as seen in the Kingsley portrait. You can't always trust the photos to capture the true colors of the dog so it's always a good idea to have several for comparison. Better yet, schedule a time to meet the dog in person if possible. I like to keep the backgrounds simple and often choose the colors that help the dog to stand out without distracting from the portrait. I like to use 6 x 6 panels unless a client prefers a larger 8 x 8 size. These are unframed and ready to stand on a small easel but also look great in a floater style frame. 


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