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When beginning a painting of a commissioned dog portrait, what is helpful for me, is seeing the animal in person and taking my own photographs.  When this is not possible, as was the case while working on the portrait of Bronson, who was located in Italy during the time I was working on the piece, plenty of well taken photos is the next best thing.  I was very lucky in that his owner, Kurt, has a wonderful eye and had sent me many great photos of his beloved companion.  In some cases, there may not be many good photos of the subject.  When that happens, it is a little harder for the artist and the artist must put together a portrait that is based a lot more off their own intuition and interpretation of that particular subject.

The next step for me, was to getting to know Bronson's personality and form through various graphite studies from the photos.  Some being more successful then others but each one being just as important as the next for working through the look of what I wanted and what I did not want.

The canvas I chose for Bronson's portrait, was an oil primed linen on gator board by WindRiver. I do like using the smooth linen for most of my work, including my landscapes.  These boards are expensive but well made, light weight, somewhat sturdy and archival.

I began with a drawing in vine charcoal for placement of the subject on the canvas.  Then I will begin the painting process by blocking in color.

The scrap used for the portrait includes the sketches I have done, a picture I have printed with the copy machine and the photos I have on the computer.

At the time I began Bronson's portrait, he and his owner were living in Italy.  I felt it was important to interpret and add Bronson's surroundings which included the fencing and lamp.  The challenge was to add those features without them competing with Bronson and becoming the focal point.  The goal was for the surrounds to be a supporting role with Bronson becoming the star of the painting.

This piece is a lovely size, not to small and not so big, 12"x16". During the next month, I will run special pricing on any commissioned piece of this size. $435, unframed, shipping extra. The piece will be painted in oil on oil primed linen on Gator board, all materials archival. Let me know what subject you would like me to paint for you