Chocolate Lab - Cocoa's Christmas

This was a commission painting that my client ordered for a friend. The dog's name is Cocoa. As you see she was just interrupted from exploring a new neighbor in the green scarf. Cocoa realized that Christmas is right around the corner when she was dressed in red outfit and the room was filled with jingle bells. What a wonderful time! Merry Christmas!!

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8"x10" Winsor&Newton Watercolor on 140 Arches Cold Pressed Paper

Girl's Portrait Study Final Phase

The Girl's portrait is completed. I've defined hair, worked on eyes and lips. And at the final stage looked at the anything that needs to be fixed.

What did I learn?

- The shadow side of the face lit by the Sun needs to be painted darker than you think when mixing the paint. And even it looks exaggerated when it is wet it will dry lighter.

- The time to finish is the time when the artist thinks it is done. I could work on this portrait until the year end; but, it was time to stop. Sometimes it is hard to do so.

- Red hair requires pretty much all colors but Red: I used all shades of gold, which are yellow, transparent orange, burned sienna, green.

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I had a lot of fun painting this portrait, learned a lot, and now it is even a little sad it is done. But I need to move forward :)

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24"X18" Winsor&Newton Watercolor on 140 Cold Pressed paper

Girl's Portrait Study Phase V

This time I am identifying the body parts; but, not finishing them completely. Everything is touched and everything is needed perfection at this stage (ears, nose, eyes, lips) . I would call this period the most unsatisfying as I really want it to be completed but know that it is impossible to see unity unless you work on whole face at once. At least my Girl now gets more character, doesn't she? :)

Girl's Portrait Study Phase IV

Today is definitely a Hair Day (good or bad? you decide).. I've added some gold in my girl's hair. Even she is a Blond now she is positively going to be a Cute Red Head. I've used wet-on -wet technique thinking that later I can touch the hair with the small (dry-on-wet) brush in order to define them. I know some artists that do not focus on defining hair and it does look great with the accent on the face and eyes, but for this portrait I think I will stick to my usual technique.

Girl's Portrait Study Phase III

I've worked on the dress pattern trying to frame the face, but not to overdo. At this stage I've only placed two washes on the girls face to distinguish the shadow side and part that's on the sun. There are more washes to the face to come as more contrast is needed. The common practice shows that when painting a sunny day you would have a difference 40% between shade and sunny side. So I have to remember to exaggerate the shadow side when painting(plus remembering that watercolors dry at least 30% lighter).

The first touch of girl's hair shows the Blond; but I will need to work towards the Redish Blond to match the model's personality.

Girl's Portrait Study Phase II

I've added a few shades of red into the cold purple to make it warmer and made the bottom of the painting more intense to settle down the future portrait. Can't wait to start working on baby's face. The background is pretty much done (unless I will want to insert an object or two.. we shell see)... It looks a little dark now as the girls face is not yet touched.

Girl's Portrait Study Phase I

I have not painted kids on the large format paper. This is my first try on 18"x24". I've met the girl this Fall at one party. The sun was shining just right and the parents were so kind to let me taking my future photo-reference that I've jumped to the opportunity. The girls personality is just amazing. Like a lot of Red Heads she was shining from inside. Shy at the beginning, she revealed her smart and talkative nature after the first half an hour of the party; and, became the main subject of admiration. The same moment when I took her photo she was sitting herself comfortably in the huge chair and all of a sudden she heard the dogs barking nearby; she was not scared, no, instead she was curious if this dog can jump over the fence that she can see it. What a Cutie!

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After the drawing I've started the painting by covering the main area of the portrait with Masking Fluid around the edges and the middle of the portrait with the cut out paper. I've started the painting with the wash of yellow and alizarin crimson slowly moving to a darker (ultramarine blue and violet) colors. The reason I've chosen these colors for the background is that the girl has rainbow-flowery dress and I thought it would be nice to include the colors of her dress into the background wash.

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The composition that I've chosen is also very unusual for me. The girls portrait is moved to the far right when I left almost a half of the painting for a background. I've done it intentionally to emphasize the feeling of sun and wind and make the viewer wonder what is there? what this girl sees? I believe this composition gives more space for imagination.

In Every Piece Of My Art There Is A Piece Of My Heart And A Sparkle Of My Soul

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