Ripley and Vasquez are The Kid’s two cats. I did a painting of them a couple years ago.
German Shepherd Goofball
This is Otto, the last of the three German Shepherd portraits I’ve done for the Hughes family.
German Shepherd Portrait
A few years after I painted Junior, the customer had another German Shepherd portrait for me. He was their next dog, Murphy. A swell looking fellow, he had lighter coloring than your typical German Shepherd, and I accentuated that in the portrait. I think it’s a fair observation that German Shepherds need proper training to be their best at protecting their pack and accepting non-threatening strangers. In a neighborhood setting, you don’t want a dog …
I Love German Shepherd Dogs
We have friends (hard to believe, I know, but it’s mostly The Missus’ fault – she’s too friendly), and among those friends are the Hughes family. Over the course of ten years, they have commissioned me to paint each of their three German Shepherds that have been part of their clan. This is the first, Junior. He had long ears, which I at first thought was a trick of the photos they gave me, but …
Repeat Portrait Customers
I love repeat customers! This portrait is of Ginger, who belonged to the same owners as Bo. In this portrait, I really think I nailed the golden color of her fur. For some reason, I’ve struggled creating blonde and gold fur on these digital paintings. But this was the first where I felt confident all the way through without having to paint over weak areas. I think part of the recipe for success is not …
Bo The Bernese Mountain Dog
Here’s Bo, a singularly happy Bernese Mountain Dog. Well, that’s not entirely correct. Every Berner I know is, without exception, a super happy camper. It’s hard to say “this one is the happiest”. Though I never met Bo in person, the photos supplied for this memorial portrait certainly gave the impression of a very happy dog. Possibly it’s the breed. But more likely it’s the loving pet parents. Normally, I try to focus on the …
Bernese Mountain Dog in Graphite
This graphite portrait of my Bernese Mountain Dog is teaching me a lot about drawing. Lessons I’ve forgotten. Drawing is a perishable skill. I spend a lot of time working to keep –and re-acquire– my graphite drawing skills. I’m still not quite where I want to be, but each drawing makes me just a little better… and a little wiser. I’m trying to be more bold with my edges. The drawings I see from other …
Is a Golden Retriever Portrait Art?
Watch a time-compressed video showing me painting a portrait of Tally, a beautiful Golden Retriever. Time: 3 and a half minutes.
Charming Chuy Terrier Portrait
This is smilin’ Chuy. Like most little dogs, he makes up for a lack of physical stature by means of a massive personality. I love this portrait! Let me tell you why. First off, you can’t look at Smilin’ Chuy without smiling back. I think I captured his happy nature with this portrait. Secondly, in terms of technique, I love the sense of depth I created by carefully placing dark areas next to lighter areas. …
Hobee the Basset Hound
This is Hobee the Basset Hound. Not much to say about this happy fella, except I really like the coloring. Specifically, the way the bright blue background sets off the orangey tone of his head. I added electric orange tones on his cheeks that create a nice glowing effect, making the shadows more interesting. Since I use photos as references, it’s tempting to simply copy whatever I see there. But that’s not how I work. …