Celebrating Color

The latest news from Carol McIntyre's studio...

Pet Portrait Work-in-Process – Skjonn Step 8

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Hey Skjonn! How am I lookin' now? (click to enlarge)

For some reason I want to go and play with Skjonn. How about you?

As you can see, Skjonn is more defined. As per her owners, I made her eyes smaller and changed the highlights. HOWEVER, I noticed that her eyes are not even. What a bummer! It is interesting how I can see this in a digital photo and not the original painting. Apparently, a different medium, such as a photo, makes us artists look at our work differently. I also need to get my mirror out and look at the painting from the reverse; this is a very helpful tool, and I probably would have seen the error before I took the photograph.

I decided to go with the more orange-magenta highlights because it makes Skjonn more vibrant, which I think speaks to her personality.  How are her ears now? Does her left ear need to be less pointed? The more highlights will be further articulated soon. Any other comments?

It is almost summer Skjonn which means even more time in the water! 🙂

…to be continued.

Pet Portrait Painting Process – Step 6 of Skjonn

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What do Skjonn and Mozart have in common?  One of the several questions I ask during the interviewing process for a Memory Portrait of a pet is, “What music best describes your pet?”  Mozart was the response Joe gave me when speaking of his beloved Skjonn. Consequently, I have been listening to Mozart and there are many lively & melodic passages that definitely make me think of Skjonn based on Joe’s description of her.  It is as if there is another dimension in the studio and it is enhances my connection wtih Skjonn as I paint. 

A chiseled rubber tool is being used to create clouds

As you can see via the photograph, (click to enlarge photo), I wear vinyl gloves when working with pastels.  The pigment in pastels is the same as those used in oils, acrylics or watercolors.  Pigments contain toxic materials, such as cadmium or cobalt, hence it is not good to allow it into our blood stream via our skin. (Or I could be even crazier artist!)

The tool I am using here is made of soft rubber and it is shaped like a chisel.  Typically I use my baby finger to rub and smooth out areas, but this tool creates textures I cannot produce with a finger.  These brush-like tools come in various sizes depending on the job at hand.

Skjonn at about two-thirds complete

Since the last posted stage of this artistic process, I have been working the sky, clouds, shoreline and water fairly extensively.  (I have not touched the trees recently.) The goal is to make the background more impressionistic than Skjonn so that it does not distract from her portrait. 

I have started working on her eyes, mouth, tongue, as well as blending several layers of her fur.  Her right ear seems too long, but I am not sure, and I know her left ear is too short because I am not finished with the clouds.  For some reason her nose has been giving me problems, so I am going to leave it alone for now.  Sometimes that just happens in a painting and I have learned to back-off so that I do not ruin the Memory Portrait. 

Is the shoreline rocky enough? Are the boulders reading as boulders along the North Shore? 

…to be continued.

Painting Process of Pet Portrait – Step 5

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Painted in all areas to establish lights & darks

It is sunny out today as Spring tries to arrive in Colorado, so I am enjoying the summer-like colors I am applying to Skjonn’s Memory Portrait.

At this stage, I have  established the lights and darks in Skjonn as well as the background.  Are you sensing depth in the painting yet?

I have worked on all areas of the painting, particularly the sky and clouds.  It is important to get the background nearly completed so that I can finish her pet portrait cleanly.  For example, I have to paint a light sky blue around her left ear which makes it look very pointed; her pointed ears will be rounded as I complete the painting.

And I painted some yellows and pinks in this black Labrador’s highlights, because of her bright personality.  They will become subtle over time.

…to be continued

Pet Portrait Painting Process – Step 3 of Skjonn

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After the first layer of pastel is applied, I like to make sure that the pigment is stained into the paper. To do that, I use an old watercolor brush with everyday rubbing alcohol to dissolve the pigment. It is important to paint each area separately, other wise the colors can run together and I would have a muddy mess on my hands.

Rubbing alcohol dissolves pastel pigment

After the alcohol dries, which does not take long, I am ready to apply my many layers of pastel.

This pet portrait of Skjonn does look  a little like a puzzle, no?

…to be continued.

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Pet Portrait Painting Process – Step 2 of Skjonn

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From the two reference photos I have of Skjonn, I had to determine, or rather decide, from which direction the sun was shining on her.  The angles in the photos are not the same, but very close, which impacts the location of the highlights on this wonderful black Labrador. I chose the reference photo where the sun is not directly coming from above her because that direct light gives off too many highlights and does not allow for a good definition of her head and her personality.

After I transferred Skjonn’s sketch onto pastel paper and taped the paper to a board, I began blocking in larger areas of the painting with color.  As I have done in previous pet portraits, I used warmer colors for the areas where the light is hitting Skjonn; this applies to the the background sections as well.  Cooler colors (magenta, purple and blue) were applied for the shadow areas.  It was important to remember that this scene takes place during the summer and that she reflects that season in her personality!

First layer of pastel applied

To see a larger view of this stage of the painting, just click it.

You are allowed to laugh at her nose, because it does look similar to a pig’s snout, but have no fear, this will be corrected! 🙂

Any questions before I continue to the next phase?

…to be continued.