Weapons-grade Cuteness

[blackmare]

Her name is Pumpkin. She's a French Bulldog -- the first of the breed I've ever met. I took several photos of her and used this one, with its fantastic light/shadow pattern, for an oil painting. 10 x 8", on canvas. 

The owner may or may not buy this; it wasn't a commission, which is one reason I felt free to play with the colors the way I did. But if it doesn't sell, I'll use it like crazy for advertising. :-)  I already got a new painting student because of it, and I just finished the canvas last night!

Update: Sold! *happy dance*

Comments

[foxfirefey]

Oh man the face and colors are perfect.

[blackmare]

*GRINS*

Thank you! This may be my own personal favorite of all the animal portraits I've done. I almost hope the owner doesn't buy it, so I can display it at a local pet boutique and get a lot more work in this style.

[moonvoice]

This is beautiful. The colour scheme is truly delightful! :D

[blackmare]

Thank you!

I pared back my palette for this. Cadmium red light and alizarin crimson; cobalt blue and ultramarine; cadmium yellow medium and yellow ochre. Those were my basics, and a lot of white of course. There are some touches of raw sienna mixed in here and there, and cad yellow light for the bright tag on the collar.

The learning curve is constant for me. I should have been taught all this in art school but wasn't. So I'm picking things up from other artists now.

[azurelunatic]

I really love what you've done with the color, especially in the shadows.

[blackmare]

In case you can use the information: I painted the entire background with a pink color made from cadmium red light, white, and possibly a bit of cadmium yellow medium.

The shadows are mostly cobalt blue with some ultramarine added, painted over the pink. I added bits of alizarin crimson and maybe some sap green in a couple spots to darken and tone down the blue, but it really is mostly cobalt.

The gray/violet I layered over the pink is cobalt, alizarin, white, and some touches of yellow.

[noxie]

Wow, that is gorgeous!

[blackmare]

Thanks! I'm just ridiculously pleased with it, myself. :-)

[supermouse]

I showed this to my spouse, who doesn't even *like* dogs, and his response was the same as mine: awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Now I am trying to think of which famous painter it was who used colours in a similar way on one of his works. I honestly think this is one of the best pictures you've put up here yet, and you've put up some crackers in the past.

[blackmare]

I was kind of going for a Wayne Thibaud thing, here. Although he tended to use these kinds of colors for slices of cake, and such, rather than animals. :-)

[supermouse]

I think actually possibly Monet or Frieseke.

[lark_ascends]

WOW!!! Amazing.

[jmlittle_art]

Oh WOW, beautifully done!

[cumuluscastle]

I think the colours are excellent and love the quizzical expression.

[grey853]

Pumpkin's a cutie! I like the style.