Dog and the Cat

Oil portrait of pets complete and sold.

Excuse the glare, the paint was still wet!

Behind the scenes: I started off by photographing the animals for a main reference which I could then take away and paint from. As I couldn't get them quite in the poses I wanted, I had to use some Photoshop trickery.

Raw photo on right, doctored version on left
Stock photo on left, doctored version on right made to more closely resemble the subject. Yes, the yawn was absolutely deliberate!
Two doctored photos together
Further image building to complete the reference photo. Most importantly, the lighting has to match in all areas of the picture.
Beginning a practice painting on a 20x25cm canvas, to warm up and identify any possible difficulties. The reference photo (copy) is folded up into a grid. Another grid is then drawn on the canvas and a basic drawing is plotted.
Filling in the areas, from large to small, then going into details and effects.
Practice painting complete
Beginning full-sized painting , 40x40cm canvas, by drawing using the grid method again

Painting complete, all except for the layer of protective varnish which will need to be added in two to three months, when the paint has finished breathing. Sorry it's not a great photo, but that's the nature of the beast! I can try to take a better photo when it's fully dried.

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