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 2

More of the layers of fur have been built up by painting many more thin detailed layers of color. I could probably have added more of the darker colors in washes and then added the more detailed layers over top but I just find adding the thin detailed layers, although time consuming, gives such a richer level of depth and texture. Nikki's portrait is starting to take shape!

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.

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait of Kelly-Belle

Well adding the panelling to the house definitely finishes the background off. The daisies have been painted in lightly and a few touch ups to shadows and the yellow flowers were made...I think Kelly's portrait is complete!

As always I will leave it for a bit and stare at it from all angles to see if anything stands out to me. My eye is always drawn to Kelly's face instantly even with all of the flowers and foliage which is exactly what I was hoping for in the final painting!

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait - Update 12

More of the flowers and leaves have been painted in both at the top and the bottom right corner. The shadow will be added at the top to better judge whether or not a few more leaves need to be added at the top.

Another small leaf or vine needs to be added near Kelly's head which I will paint next as well. Sometimes things don't pop out until you take a step back from the painting for a bit. Then I will finish painting in the leaves at the bottom right and add a few of the blue flowers on the right hand side very loosely. A few more washes will be added to the porch step and last but not least, the yellow flowers will be touched up to add a bit more depth and shape.

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait - Update 5

More wisps of fur are being added slowly in thin layers to add depth and ensure a rich glow. If the layers are added heavily I find that things can start to look flat and the colors are not as luminous.

Her nose has been blocked in and will continue to be built up. I love the blueish tint on the underside of her nose, I think it will add a very nice cool depth once the layers are built up on top. I used a mixture of Burnt Umber and French Ultramarine for this black. I also used a mix of Perylene Maroon and Winsor Green for a secondary black used in the pads of her feet which gives more of a reddish tone and is not as deep. I do not like the pre-made blacks as they also tend to be flat and lack the luminosity of a mixed black.

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait - Update 3

Some of the masking fluid has come off and now the 'connecting' areas need to be softened and worked in toghether. I have added a bit more detail to her fur and painted in a few more flowers.

The layers will need to dry thoroughly before more detail is added and then more of the masking fluid can also be removed.

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait - Update 2

Many more layers of foliage have been added and many, many more layers of masking fluid so it still looks a little odd. The fluid will be coming off soon on the foilage and a few details painted in once the darks are dry.

I have added the masking fluid to her fur to retain the white wisps of fur and once the background has been worked on a bit more I will start adding the darks and mid tones to her fur. The colors look very washed out in the photo due to the lighting so hopefully the next photo will be better as it will be in natural light.

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait - Update 1

Things look a little funny right now as there are still spots of masking fluid glowing a yellowish ting but I thought I would post an update anyway.

I do not usually use masking fluid but thought it would add nice depth to the foilage once the painting is complete. The areas where the masking fluid has been removed will be painted in, some areas as flowers and some as vines and foilage. The area on the left will be wisps of fur that will also be touched up using both negative and positive painting to shape the fur. Leaves will also be painted in loosely overtop of the wash to give the suggestion of foilage and add depth.

I have started the underpainting of Kelly's fur using sepia in different dilutions to give structure to the fur. This golden retriever's fur is quite light in some areas and very rich in others so I think there will be a nice contrast in the fur once the glazes are added over the underpaintings. I will be away from the studio for a week, gasp, so this will likely be the last update until I return, I am getting separation anxiety already!!!

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait - Sketch

The sketch has been transferred to the watercolor paper and has been adjusted in photoshop so the lines can be seen better online. The flowers & leaves will be done very loosely for a glowing effect whereas the deck and Kelly's portrait will have stronger details to ensure that they come forward and that Kelly stays the focal point of the painting. A few of the flower petals and leaves will have more detail just to lead the eye and add interest.

Watercolor Dog Memorial Portrait

This is a reference photo for my current commission which is a memorial portrait for Kelly, a much loved Golden Retriever who recently passed away. The portrait will be 22 x 28" painted in watercolor and will be a surprise gift for her people from a friend. I have started on the sketch and am looking forward to painting her surrounded by all the flowers.