Standard Poodle Portrait

This standard poodle portrait commission gave me the fun opportunity to use lots of thick, rich paint in the subject as well as the background. It is such a beautiful breed -- he already had a lot to offer the portrait: textures, expression and interesting features that translate well in a painting.

Trio
10 x 8 inches, Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Stage 1: The sketch. I loosely painted in the features with contour lines that would be easy to follow. My goal was to capture the likeness of Trio at this stage which made the rest of the painting so much easier. It was time well spent.

Stage 2: Blocking in. It helped to squint my eyes as I looked at the subject at this stage so that I could simplify what I saw and block in all the major shapes and values with a relatively large brush.

Stage 3: Completing the portrait. From here on out it was time to let loose and enjoy the creative process.  Using lots of paint and coarse brushes I wanted to communicate to the viewer Trio's gorgeous coat and contrasting marble-like eyes. He was a joy to paint.

My Art Diary: August - December 2015, Part 1

As 2016 begins, I look back with a thankful heart at all that has happened since I last posted in this blog. It has been an amazing "season" of creating commissioned art, sprinkled with teaching art. My days have been full with a variety of mediums in my hand...from pencil to pastels, acrylics and watercolors, to oils... and the common thread has been sheer enjoyment. Although the consequence to all this creativity has been the lack of time to write about my experiences until now, I am determined to start the new year with a fresh update of my latest art.

With this first post, I have to say, pet portraits are so much fun. Each one is a privilege to create. When I am invited into someone's story, I get to see beauty not only in the animal but in the special relationship between the furry friend and his or her owner. And without fail, portraits make great gifts that touch the heart. As you can see from the photos, during these past several months I was able to get to know some beautiful animals.

Bartholomeow
7 x 5", Oil on panel
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Brenna
10 x 8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Moet
10 x 8", Oil on panel
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Dusty
10 x 8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Stubby, II
8 x 10", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Taylor
10 x 8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Dixie
10 x 8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Dog Portrait Commission

Dog Portrait Commission

12 x 16", Oil on canvas

Rita Salazar Dickerson (c)2014

These past several weeks have been extra busy with travel mixed in with painting and pen and ink sketches. Today I'd like to share a fun commission that I had the pleasure of creating for a new client who wanted to make this portrait a Christmas gift surprise.

All of the preliminary work for this painting was done via email. After the initial inquiry, a variety of photographs were sent to me; I was given the freedom to create from those and work on the composition from there.

This is the photo I used as my main reference photo. As you can see, the ears on both dogs were cropped and by using the additional photos, I was able to paint them back in. Also, the photo was a bit dark in places and so I enjoyed the artistic freedom of adding light and color that I saw in some of the other photos.

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Stage 1: The sketch. I approach every initial sketch for a portrait painting as though I am painting from life and so I paint it freehand, using the eyes as reference points for the rest of the features. Getting the angles and likeness right is very important at this stage. I really liked the pose of these two pooches; the way their beautiful faces came closely together, leaning into each other, was endearing.

Stage 2: Blocking in the main colors. Another nice touch to this painting was the way the the two dogs complimented each other with the color and markings of their coats. Because of some of their similar colors I was able to paint each of the dogs simultaneously. In this layer I did not worry about details and texture, instead I focused on their main shapes of color.

Stage 3: Completing the painting. This final layer is always pure fun for me. I enjoy applying thick paint with a palette knife and then moving it around with a coarse haired paint brush. Colors are enhanced and details applied. The final touches involved a small, fine paintbrush that gave me the ability to paint in the suggestions of their whiskers. 

The background was also a blast. My client requested light blue, grayish colors with touches of yellow. That was an easy request to fulfill since the colors of the dogs had already lent themselves to that type of background as a nice option.

Painting commissions are always an honor for me. To be a part of a story where kindness and generosity is involved is so special.

Dog Portraits: Freckles 1 & 2

Behind every painting commission is a personal story. When I accept the commission I view it as an invitation to enter that story. I feel honored every time. The portraits I completed this week feature the same dog, Freckles, in two stages of life; as a shaggy, sweet puppy and now in present day, as an older, wiser, faithful companion.

Freckles The Puppy
10 x 8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Stage 1: The drawing. With a thin wash of burnt umber paint and mineral spirits, I draw the image of Freckles with a number 2, filbert bristol brush, freehand, using several photos for my reference. My goal at this stage is accuracy. If I capture his likeness now the rest of my job is so much easier.

Stage 2: Blocking in the underpainting. This is such a fun stage. With a large brush I lay down the paint in blocks of color knowing that some of it will  show through the top, thicker layer.

Stage 3: Completing the painting. This final layer is done with brush strokes placed with intentional variety and color. The background represents where Freckles was photographed, in a pale green, grassy field.

Freckles
10 x 8", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

Stage 1: The drawing.

Stage 2: Blocking in the underpainting.

Stage 3: Completing the painting. Freckles, as an adult, lost some of his pronounced markings. I also had to take in to account the changes in his hair and the way it fell. One trait that did not change was his alert, vibrant energy.