Painting Again

Since I have the internet tether set up and working and the Monster more or less finished, I've been trying to focus on painting again.

So far, I've finished the chihuahua pet portrait commission and am back working on the apple still-life. Both are in pastel pencils, a medium that I've not really used much at all and am not sure I like much. The chihuahua turned out ok - I haven't heard back from the person who commissioned it yet, but I think it looks like him. I'm just not especially thrilled with it but it was a learning experience.

On the other hand, I'm liking the way the apple still-life is coming along. I think the difference may be that the still-life has meaning for me and, while I really enjoy doing animal portraits, there's a different sort of attachment for the subject. Also, I think it's because the owners see a pet one way while the artist usually has only the reference photo(s) to go by. I remember one commission where the owner kept wanting me to go darker with the fur on her dog. The photo reference showed the animal as a very light silver gray but the dog was actually charcoal gray! Another owner had the opposite problem.

Animal portraits can be kind of stressful because of the owner's vision versus the reference photo(s). I wonder why they send photos that don't show the true colors or character of the animal even when asked for ref photos that are accurate. I think it's because they see their dog as it is even when viewing a photo that isn't totally correct.

Anyway, the stressful portrait is finished & I'll post a photo of it in the next few days. I'm hoping to finish the apples today or tomorrow and I'll post a photo of it too.

So --- hang around and watch this space!