Daily Painting Dog Portrait, "Chipper"

"Chipper" Prelim Drawing
9.5X7
Charcoal Pencil on Watercolor Paper

I have to be one of the luckiest people on earth. Well, nevermind that, but I do feel very lucky to have the privilege of doing what I love to do. Chipper is the next dog portrait. He's a Westie of special character and as you can see he is a happy little fellow. He sports a black sweater with a star on the front, not to mention that darling smile!

I am just getting started on his portrait. The painting will be 14X11 This is a smaller freehand drawing I did this afternoon, which I like to do to get the feel of the values, study the nuances, and generally give myself the deep breath treatment before I dive into the paints. Too much fun!!!

I am also posting the progress on him on "the Painted Dog" blog, which you can access on the right of this one.
Stay tuned!!!

Daily Painting, Framing Matters

One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready....

As I mentioned previously, there is a local guild show coming up. I've spent some time the last few days agonizing over which pieces to enter. My husband had his say in the matter, as did several other family members. And here are the three we collectively decided upon. The Peony is the largest. It is 16X12. The Hydrangeas is 9X12. And the Apple...entitled "Sustenance" is 8X10.

These are standard sizes, and standard is what I generally try to adhere to in order to make framing an easier matter. Framing can be expensive and I spend a great deal of time and effort to find the best frames I can find at affordable prices. (affordable prices being subjective.) I love frames. I could eat them up if they are nice ones. It is actually fun to search them out. More fun when I find the ones I like. I have the curse my mother used to call, "Champagne taste on a beer budget." So that makes it even more challenging. I have to say though, that a frame can make or break the painting. The wrong frame can just wreck the look, deaden the colors, or flatten it to death. But the right one can enhance, brighten, and give the painting more depth. It's so great when you find the right one!!! Don't give up until you do it right. It's like the icing on the cake..... :-)

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three"

"Ella at Three"
16X12
Oil on Linen Panel

Click to enlarge the picture.

At last. The morning was taken by going over the background entirely in order to dull it down some and give the whole painting more depth. I think, if I look back, this painting has taken me the better part of six weeks. More than I anticipated, but not having done a portrait in oil prior to this, I guess I really didn't know what to expect.

Just to add to the story a bit...the chair is a family heirloom. It is part of a set of six curly maple chairs that were in my mother's family, three generations back from her life. They were among some of her favorite possessions and I am privileged to be the keeper of them now, before passing them along to the next generation. It's kind of fun to commemorate them in this painting along with the adorable grandchild that my mother didn't get to see. Hopefully, I have connected the chain of our family while painting this.

Local guild shows are coming up fast, so I'll be working toward those for the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

Click to enlarge the picture.

As you can see, this is still on the easel. Today I finished the bottom of her dress, the bottom right side of the chair,and tweaked the shadows under Paddinton. Except for going back to work the background more, I believe I am actually about at the end. I am very pleased with the way the dress turned out. After painting a few hours on it today and not getting it where I quite wanted, I remembered about Ariane Beigneux again...that she had used a palette knife. So I grabbed one and started in with it on the fabric of the dress. I have to thank her for this...never having used one before, I found it to be very helpful and achieved the look I was wanting.

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

I worked on Paddington Bear, some of the chair and the lower part of her dress today. Her dress is still being worked on..shadows under Paddington are not finished. But... Thought you might like to see Paddington close-up to cheer your day!!
It's getting there. Trust me!

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

This is definitely becoming the 'Ella Marathon." I don't know how many layers or how many brush strokes cover this girl's face, but I just keep tweaking here and there until I think I might have it right. Then I look at her the next day and .. low and behold I find myself with my brush in my hand to darken this or lighten that or curve her cheek more or define her nose and mouth again. Anyway, here is today's adaptation. And of course I think I am done with her face again...until I look at her tomorrow. These pictures are not doing justice to this painting either. Actually, the close up one just to the left here looks about right. Will try to fix that tomorrow, too. Yikes!

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

"Ella at Three" In Progress
16X12
Oil on Linen Panel

Click on either picture to enlarge them.
Excuse the glare from the wet paint.

Well, I think I am finally getting there. Her face has been erased three times over all and today I think I figured out what has been wrong. The photo I am working from has a dark shadow across her right side. (our left) It looks grey and added so much incoherent shadow that I have been having to guess about the colors. Once I figured that out I was able to start over with much lighter and warmer shadowing. Now I am on to the rest of the painting....
And hopefully this painting will get done before Ella turns thirty or I collapse from the effort!! :)
Stay tuned.... Also...I am noticing lately that when I upload these photos on Blogger the colors are washing out some. Have no idea why. It could possibly be due to the wet paint glare...but anyway, the colors in this are brighter than you see here.

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

"Ella at Three" In Progress
16X12
Oil on Linen Panel

Click on the picture to enlarge it...but this one is a bit blurry. Sorry.

Still at it...
I have spent the better part of the last few days trying to recapture the face I lost when I tanned her skin too much last week. I don't think it's quite there yet..but it's starting to look somewhat better. This has been a very aggravating process...and I am regretting I acted on advice from others to "warm up" the shadows on her face. Let that be a lesson to me. (though I am sure it was well intentioned. :) )
The color on each person's monitor is different. I need to remember that when people respond. And the variations in lighting when taking the picture of the painting affects things also. In point, this rendition looks duller than the actual painting. I am hoping that when the painting is finished I will be able to get a really good picture of it for the blog.
Back to it...like a possessed mad woman... I am painting on her for hours each day and hope to bring her to life.
To those other artists who have experience in portrait painting watching this progress, please keep in mind that this is the first oil portrait I have ever attempted.

Update..on Redemption

Guess what....turpentine washed her face after all. Didn't know I could do that, but I just dove in and scrubbed her adorable little face. Sure enough..it looks like I can start this over in the next day or so (after I have recovered from the agony of defeat) and hopefully reclaim what I lost today. That was refreshing! The funny thing is she looks more like Ella with the scrubbed effect than she looked earlier today. I feel better already!! :)

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

"Ella's at Three" In Progress
16X12
Oil on Linen Panel

Another entire day spent on her face...to the detriment I believe. Warmed up the shadows as advised. Which changed the look of things to the point of needing the rest of the face to be re-worked. I don't think this is an improvement. Now she looks like she has spent the month in Barbados on the beach. Now I don't know how to get that sweet pink back and this is way to yellow in my opinion. This warming also makes her face look fatter which I am not happy about. Changed her eyes as advised. this actually did help her expression...but now I am really sick of the colors on her face. Fattened her left cheek as advised...now she looks way to fat in the face. And I don't think there is any washing this whole thing off with turpentine, so...
Not a good day.

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

Detail of "Ella at Three" In Progress
16X12
Oil on Linen Panel

I know....are you sick of this yet? I am not happy with the photos I'm getting of the entire portrait, so I am only showing the detail one today. You can see I have painted the top of her dress and am ready to work on Paddington Bear and then her hands....and then her skirt and the rest of the chair...and then go back and tweak the background. Ella in real life is very fair and blond and blue eyed and soft as a sweet little three year old should be. Of course, I think she is the cutest child who ever lived, next to my own children. And right behind her comes Bennett, so look out. Down the road I will try to give him the portrait treatment as well...when he is older.

Anyway, I'm beginning to understand why really good portrait artists command thousands of dollars for their work. There is no slap dash hurry up slam bam thank you maam way to do this, unless you want some very abstract impression of someone. Those who are skilled and practiced at this can go much faster no doubt, but nonetheless, I can really appreciate the time and skill and that it should require a boat-load of money to buy one of good quality.
More progress tomorrow....:)

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

"Ella at Three" In Progress
16X12
Oil on Linen Panel

Click on pictures to enlarge them.

Alot of glare on this...refer to the detail picture below to get a better idea of color and quality. Still tweaked a bit of her face today. Worked on her hair and the chair and her right arm (on the left of the painting). I am surprising myself at how long this is taking me. I tend to be slow and deliberate anyway, but the nuances in her skin tones are causing me to rework and blend and rework again and again. This reminds me of that poem..."only God can make a tree." Well, only God can make a person so unique and difficult to capture. I'll be at it again tomorrow. :) I'm getting anxious to get it finished.
Stay tuned!


Detail

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

"Ella's Portrait" In Progress
16X12
Oil on Linen Panel

Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Somebody stop me before I kill this painting! :) I know....I said I was through with her face, but then I decided it needed more shadow on the left side. Well...then it needed more depth to the left of her nose inside her eye area. And one thing lead to another and an hour later I've redone almost her entire face. I am promising myself that is it. Tomorrow the chair, the hair, the dress, the bear. Anything but the face.
Enough for today. It is Labor Day and one is supposed to relax...right?

Daily Painting Portrait, "Ella at Three" In Progress

"Ella at Three" In Progress
16X12
Oil on linen Panel

Click on either picture to enlarge it.

Detail of "Ella at Three"

More progress on Ella's portrait today. I now have a wrapped wrist after trimming hollies and pulling up weeds and saplings in the yard this morning, so I have to say this is a bit painful now on my end, but it is showing promise now. I hope to loosen up on her dress and the rest of the painting, but you know me....that will be pushing myself. Anyway...here is the latest on it.