Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait of Nikki Completed

The portrait of Nikki is completed. I painted a few highlights around her face and muzzle and then warmed up a few areas to balance things out. I think her portrait turned out quite nicely and is going to look very nice framed.

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait of Nikki - Update 4

The portrait is really starting to come alone. The sparkle is starting to really show in her eye and her fur is getting much fuller. Still more detail to add in her muzzle and I will likely add a few more highlights just to add a bit more depth and fullness. The darker blanket helped ground the portrait more and it has a nice texture to it.

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait of Nikki - Update

The darks have been mapped out and some of the texture has been painted in. The layers will be built up slowly to add depth and texture to her fur.

Although this is a monochromatic portrait, several colors are used to give a push and pull effect and achieve the darks without a chalky or flat appearance.

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait of Nikki - Sketch

This is the sketch of Nikki a sweet dog that recently passed away. This pet portrait is being commissioned as a Christmas Gift for her 'grandmother'. The portrait will be monochromatic, painted on 11 x 14" Arches watercolor paper.

Baby Sketch of Grandaughter for Christmas Gift

This is a mock up that I will be using as a reference photos that I will be using for my next graphite portrait commission. Her grandmother is commissioning the portrait as a Christmas gift.



I took her hands from another photo as she just looked so cute with her hands in her mouth and her little daisy's on her pjs but the lighting was not great on her face and the angle was a little off. Her face in the second photo was perfect and I just matched the size of her hands so that everything fit together nicely. Luckily the angle of her body was the same for both so things fit together quite naturally.



The portrait will be done as a pencil sketch on arches watercolor paper so it will not have as much depth and detail as a full portrait but I think being more 'sketchy' will enhance the fragility of her face and hands nicely.

Christmas Gift - Graphite & Charcoal Cat Portrait of Zak

Well I think Zak's portrait is complete! I will leave him overnight and may make minor tweaks. The scan does not show the graduations in tone as well as I would like. Some areas look a little choppy in the scan, but if gives the general idea. I think the dark background is throwing the balance off a bit for the scan.

Christmas Gift - Graphite & Charcoal Cat Portrait of Zak- Update #4

Zak is very near completion, just a few more tweaks in his fur better match his color pattern and texture. The blanket also needs to be lightened in a few areas so it does not look so flat.

Christmas Gift - Graphite & Charcoal Cat Portrait of Zak- Update #3

I have added a few more layers of graphite pencil to Zak's fur and will add more still but needed to get the background established first. The blanket has been drawn with 4B graphite pencil and I will either use charcoal for the background behind his tail or 6B graphite pencil, will see how it progresses.

I definitely need to get his eyes drawn in, cats just do not look right without their eyes!

Christmas Gift - Graphite & Charcoal Cat Portrait of Zak Commission - Demo 2

The tonal values have been further developed and Zak the cat is starting to take shape :) He is so beautiful, I love all the fur! I still need to add many layers of graphite pencil to add depth and shape to him but he is already starting to look pretty furry. I will need to establish the background early on as well to ensure his fur does not look cut out around the edges.

Christmas Gift - Graphite & Charcoal Cat Portrait of Zak- Update #1

Several layers of 2B graphite pencil have been added loosely, many more to go!

Graphite & Charcoal Cat Portrait of Zak

This is a cat portrait of Zak that I have just started. He is going to be a Christmas Gift for his unsuspecting person. The photo is really small but the pose is priceless and the lighting is aweseome. I have darkened the sketch in photoshop to show the detail better. The sketch was drawn lightly with a H graphite pencil. Next I will start adding in the layers of graphite pencil in 2B, HB and F for his fur.