Zuzie , Gidget , Baby and Daisy's portrait creation.

Leanne had me create a portrait of  Jimmy for a friend

Jimmy

 30 x 40cms image size

 framed Pastel

 She decided it was time to have her own dogs immortalized. With 4 of them we decided to do them credit and get each face a decent size a large portrait in Oil would be the best option. 

The portrait is a 35 cm x 1260cms Oil on gallery wrap Canvas that can be hung as is without framing. Here is the finished portrait with me to show you the size.

The first step was to obtain photos of the dogs. 

Leanne is a good photographer so she took some candid shots but she wasn't happy with all of them all so I came and took some extra ones.

We selected the favourite photos  and then had to fine tune those down to the ones that would look good together in a portrait.This took a while and much back and forth emailing but it is the most important stage.

Once we had selected them I knew the portrait would be a good one as the photos were flattering and nicely lit and showed each dogs personality well.

Here is the final chosen mockup using the selected photos.This is used for the general design and position I would create a background to suit as I painted the portrait.

Sketches were done of each dog and sent through and approved and then I drew the four of them up onto the canvas I had made. Now to do the acrylic underpainting!

 Although the colours look radical and won't show a lot in the finished portrait they are actually carefully chosen to best enhance the final result.

Early stages - you can see the size of the portrait by the A4 reference photos I have along the top.

The early stages of Zuzie and Gidget.I have a lot of fun at this stage as things don't have to be that accurate although I need to get a likeness of each dog. You can see the tape I used over the top corners. Once I had a finished portrait fall face forward into my wet palette- Argh!!!!!!! I now make sure that won't happen again by using tape as a backup..lol's

 Now I go back and start painting each dog in Oil. Here's the early stages of Baby.I haven't done any final background colours yet. I'll wait till  they are all their final colours and then decide.

 I actually painted each dogs eyes and nose first as they are what really gives them personality and brings the portrait to life . Technically they should be the  final touches thing I do but I like to see how things are going early on and it gets me enthused.

Here Baby is roughly painted in Oil. You can see all their eyes and mouths are done. The paintings can look funny at different stages but I know what will happen and how it all comes together.

Gidget  and Baby roughly painted in Oil.

Early stages of Zuzie.It's funny I thought that as she isn't as colourful as the others I would have more trouble making her stand out but I really had a ball doing her coat!

 It's often the way - the pets I think will be hard to paint are easy and the ones I thought would be a breeze take ages!

Here I have 3 roughly done and am now starting on Daisy - RHS. You can see my Palette where I mix all the paints in the foreground and my brushes RHS.

Starting On Daisy

Bit further along - here I've started on background colours as well.

The finished portrait ( actually I've done a bit of fine tuning to some of them since this was 

 taken.)

Zuzie

Gidget

Baby

Daisy

An update on the large torso in Oil

This is where I was at before. I'd underpainted the torso in blue acrylic.

Much as I liked it the specifications for the commission are for a colourful contemporary painting so the next stages were to add Oil colour over the top.

Below - I've covered a fair bit of the painting. I really like the face so I've decided to keep it blue. This also opens it up to a more contemporary look as it obviously won't be realistic! I'm thinking it's a bit boring at the moment too much orange.I want a variety of colours.It's challenging as it's a large painting and I only have a small studio.When I stand back in the studio to access colour impact it looks great but when I get further back it loses impact as your eyes blend the colours more. I suppose I have to decide on a probable viewing distance and plan for best impact from that distance.

Below -  A bit further along - I've put thick spirals of yellow / cream Oil on the right chest so it is featured at the moment.I'll even things out more as I go along but I don't want to reduce the impact. I want this painting to have zap!

 It has been commissioned by a chiropractor and will be in her office for a while so I want it to be believable but really exciting. As it is a big painting it will have impact.

Above - I actually quite like it here but have decided to add more greens and blues to the LHS which will give a bit more 3D and bring out the RHS more.

Above - mmm in a photo it looks like I've gone backwards with this idea but I think in the flesh it hangs together better. 

 I've redone the LHS with greens and blues and been a bit more careful to fix the anatomy. I've also reduced the thickness of the right arm ( held up) as it was too wide.

It's a tricky business painting a colourful portrait. If you get the tones( light, mid and dark) correct theoretically you can use any colour and get a convincing result. Colours also recede or come forward depending on whether they are warm or cool so that has to be taken into account too to get convincing form. It's a bit of a juggling act. If I didn't want the figure to be 3Dish I could use colours with more abandon.There's a lot of thought and experimentation required to do a portrait like this- much harder than just using pinks and creams.

I'm going to let it dry a little and then come back and put more reds and yellows on the greeny side. The hard part is going to be bringing it all together as a whole while having impact + having a bit of  3D. I think it needs some more of the light blues etc from the face through the LHS too.

I'll sit on it for a while until I know what it needs.It's a on a wall in the hall where I can see it everyday and evaluate things.

Cass- Here's a horse memorial portrait with reference photo so you can see how much more alive the portrait is than the original photo

I have never met your pet or loved one so your photos are the only way I have of getting to know them and creating your memories. The better the photos the better the portrait!

 I can accentuate any character in a photo but I can’t make a sad photo happy .

When you or your pet ‘smiles’ their whole face change shape – the face becomes shorter and wider , their eyes change shape and close up and their mouth obviously changes shape. If I just make a smile with the mouth without changing everything else it will look unnatural and creepy..lol’s.

 Without a photo to show me how their face changes shape I am only guessing and I won’t be able to make it look like your pet. So a happy flattering photo is best.

Ideally your photos will be sharp , nicely lit and exposed and with your pet happy and showing  some of it’s pet’s character.

Generally though that’s not the case and I do the best I can with the photos I receive.

I always tell people ‘ Take heaps of closeup sharp photos of your pets when they are alive! even if you never get a portrait created at least you will have some nice photos of them. Often people only realise they don’t have any sharp or flattering photos of their pet after it has passed away and they need a memorial portrait created. I can create portraits using less than perfect photos especially if we  have other sharper ones from a similar angle – they don’t need to be as flattering as your favourite – I can use them to help me with face structure and nose and eye details.

 Although I don’t include every detail in your portrait I need to be able to see the structure of your pets face and if we have the eyes and nose sharp I can use the photo to let me give the little accents that really bring your pet to life! Whereas a photo shows everything in equal detail I choose to only accent the important things in your portrait to bring your subject to life and bring back the connection.

 ‘ A photo freezes a moment while a painting melts hearts!

Cass’s head is distorted in this photo. His nose is too large. When taking photos of horses don’t get too close or you will get the big head effect. You also need to stand in the centre of their body with them parallel to you if you are taking a full body pose. If you stand with them crooked with one end closer to the camera it will come out too big for the rest of the body. Sometimes it’s not easy to tell that a pets face isn’t normal. Luckily I had taken some other photos of Cass so realised this wasn’t normal. I reduced the size of his nose in the portrait and created a neck that was hidden under the rug. Ideally he would have had his neck showing in the photo.

 Don’t worry about background distractions I can remove those.

 Cass

30 x 40cms 

 Oil on gallery wrap canvas 

Cass’s portrait minus big nose and rug!

‘Hi Sue,

I just wanted to let you know I received Cass yesterday. I am very pleased, it is so lifelike and like him.

You certainly are gifted.

 Mum loves the portrait. There were lots of tears, but we all agree it’s a great likeness. ‘

—Leslee

Why my portraits capture your pet better than any photo.

I'm painting the 4 dog portrait.
It's going to be a stunner when it's finished. Each face is 35cms high and almost the same wide .I have some great photos to improve on - they are sharp, nicely lit ,and show a bit of each dogs personality. I can always enhance a photo but photos like this really help!
Although I can create portraits from a wide range of photos I can still improve on professional photographers photos and you'll get the best portrait from something like that.I will enhance only the areas that are important .
A photo, even with a blurred background, just shows everything with similar importance.
Your eye doesn't see like that- it dwells on the things that are important to you and the rest is peripheral.That's why you often get excited , take a photo, and then when you view the photo it just hasn't captured your pet!
In your portrait I enhance the important things - expression , eyes colour etc . Once again they are what you notice- the excitement is back!

 The original reference photo

 

The completed portrait. 

See how much more feeling there is now.

A photo freezes a moment while a painting melts hearts!

I'm about to start painting Daisy the RH dog in the portrait.This is going to be a challenge as the canvas is really wide and she is over the top of my bench where I have my brushes etc so she will be hard to get at.Usually I can move the canvas across to help but I can't here.Oh well time to start!

The coldest morning of the year so far

Minus 4 the morning these were taken. Frost all the way up the hill.

Memorial portrait of Cass

Memorial portrait of Cass

 30 x 40cms

 Oil on gallery wrap canvas

‘Hi Sue, just wanted to let you know I received Cass yesterday.

I am very pleased, it is so lifelike and like him. You certainly are gifted.’
( A week later I asked how the Mother’s day portrait unveiling went )
‘It went very well thanks Sue,

Mum loves the portrait.

There were lots of tears, but we all agree its a great likeness. ‘

—Leslee

Leslee contacted me when her mother's horse  Cass  died unexpectedly and was found in the paddock one morning. He was 23 and still going strong. He is much missed.
I saw him once at a dressage event and he looked like a lovely natured boy.
  She decided a portrait of him would be a great way to celebrate his life and remember him and we organised a surprise portrait for mother's Day.

Bullet - 20 x 25cms image size Framed pastel

Bullet
20 x 25cms image size
Framed Pastel

' I LOVE IT!!! . He is absolutely gorgeous, It looks just like him, wrinkles and all. Once again you have done a fantastic job. I like the frame that you have him in, I don’t think he would look good in a darker frame, so the gold is a fantastic choice.'
Erin

( I've cut the mats ready to frame Bullet.

 Pastels can smudge uncovered so they are framed with 2 mats ( to keep the glass from pressing on the portrait) + they look great . The frame then goes around the outside and they are under glass.I'll post a photo of him framed when he is done. )

 

 Gail has organised a portrait of him as a wedding present for her daughter Erin. She organised a portrait of their other dog Remmi as the engagement present!

 

Here is Remmi - the engagement present portrait.

 

The portraits are gifts that both of them can treasure for a lifetime!

 

'Both Aaron & I love the portrait and think that you have done a marvelous job. Bullet will take his place on the wall next to Remmi, partners in crime in everything they do, but also the best of friends.

We can't thank you enough for the portraits of both of our much loved family members.'

 Aaron & Erin

 

 Here are some earlier photos as I created him.

 

 

 I really wanted a tan paper to use with the main colour showing  but I didn't have any so I used the reddish brown paper. Here I have got a very light image that can be changed easily and corrected. 

Once that is ok I will go lighter colours and heavier application with the Pastel.

 As an artist you have to be careful with Pastel as it is the subtle texture of the paper that holds the pastel . It can only take so many layers before your pastel will start skidding across the top and not go on.That's why you start carefully and lightly  and gradually build up.
I always get frustrated with pastel after working with Oil. With Oil you lay the colour on to get what you are after straight away .
Having said that I do love the way Pastel is immediate - you are drawing , no colour mixing or cleanup.I can walk past and pick up a Pastel and play whereas with Oil I need at least 1/2hr to even be bothered doing any painting.

 

 

Here he is a little further along . Since this photo I've put the whole background colour in , added lighter colours to make him more cream than tan and refined the painting more.

 

After the rain

Believe it or not we still need dam filling rain before next summer. The dams are only 1/3rd full.If we start summer like that they will dry up as El Nino is predicted -This will mean better wind for sailboarding and sailing but drought and greater bushfire danger .

Outside the studio door.

There were 2 joeys + a mum looking up at me through the window the day before but they ran away when I got my camera.

The torso

I've been commissioned to paint a large colourful torso for a chiropractor. 

I was a bit nervous at first as it was so large I can't fit it on my easel at home and it's a bit different from what I usually do.
 I'm converted now! I'm taking it to the art society rooms where I have the room to paint it and I'm loving working large. It looks super impressive.
 Actually if I had the time I'd love to do a series of them and have an exhibition.
If you are have a health related practise some of these would look stunning in your room! I can create them in any colour - reddish tones, brown etc.

Above -The first thing I did was do a small version from a model to get an idea of what colours to put in the finished painting.

The final colours may vary slightly but it gives me something to aim for.

 This one isn't as correct as the large version will be.

 The model who we were going to paint dropped out and we had a standin who had a different build. I had a photo from the client that I am using for lighting and the original model had ribs whereas our standin didn't. I was using half photo half model to paint this. Also it is a really difficult pose to hold for 2.30hrs even with short rests and we felt sorry for him and let him drop his arm halfway which affected the position of his head. I didn't worry too much as this is mainly for colour rather than anatomy and I could be more accurate in the large one.

 The first painting session. I am really happy with his face- it's a pity it will be covered as we go along! I do the underpainting as an accurate guide for the positioning of the colours over the top.

This gives you an idea of the size of it.

 The finished underpainting. If it was to be left as is I'd tidy up a few little things but its' good enough to put Oil over. Pity as I like it as it is!

I'll be painting at Salt Ash this Sunday 25th May- Alexander Park dressage day

Come and watch me paint . If you have been thinking of having me create a portrait come along and have a talk. Bring your photos and we can discuss your ideas.

 I will be painting a portrait of Kathryn Croft on Snapdragon. This painting is not a commissioned portrait so I can do whatever I want! I want the painting to be colourful and capture the connection they have. I'm using a professional photo that I have bought as the reference but getting rid of all the distracting background and bits and pieces.

 Here's what I've done so far..I've cropped the photo. I was feeling pretty good about coming up the cropped image and then I realised it's the same as Kathryn's FB profile pic! Great minds think alike..lol's

 The sketch

 Some possible ideas although I am already thinking of changing the colour and placement of the background..

 

Here I've started on the acrylic underpainting - I usually use the opposite colour in this to what I will finish up with. Leaving little bits peaking through the final Oil layers give the painting extra zing.

 I wanted a reasonably large painting so Kathryn's face would be a decent size- it's harder to get a decent likeness or feeling in a small face. The A4 size reference photo is at the top RHS.

A bit further along and I am starting to put the Oil colour over the acrylic.I've painted the darker areas of Snap's coat. 

With Oil paint you must paint from the darkest areas and colours then the middle tones and then the lightest colours. 

If you paint light colours and then try to darken them the paint just mixes and goes muddy.

You still need a careful technique going from dark to lighter but you get a more natural look. Acrylic paint dries quickly so you put whatever colour you want wherever but Oils need to be carefully planned to keep the colours fresh.
 I've actually now roughly painted Snap + Kathryn's clothes..
 To be continued Sunday!

Patti

                           Patti

                   30 x 40cms image

                       Custom  Framed Oil

‘ The portrait went great Sue.

You have a gift. Thanks again it’s been a pleasure.’

—Steve

The framed portrait

Patti was organised as a secret gift.

Patti is getting on and Steve thought a portrait would be a great way of immortalising him.

Some final changes to Homeward Bound.

I wasn't really happy with Brian's wetgear. I didn't have any photos of the wetgear lit with similar light as the rest of the painting - it was an overcast day when I took the original photos.
 Making up lighting on clothing rarely works as well as having decent reference photos so I had some photos of me taken in my similar coloured wetgear to help..I also added some trim on the jacket - a line of colour that I had deliberately left out in the earlier but I feel that helps too.
 I'm much happier with it now as the lighting is more consistent.
 The colours of the painting shouldn't have changed ( other than his wetgear) so any difference there is just from the photos..

The finished portrait with wetgear adjusted.

Above - Th earlier version - it's hard to tell just looking at photos but in the latest version I have added more light colour where the sun is hitting the RHS of his wetgear + a stripe across his jacket.