Cat pet portrait work in progress (pastel painting)

Several months ago, I was asked to create a head and neck portrait of this beautiful cat to be given as an early Christmas present to my client's sister.  Like always, when I work on my commissions, I take progression photos which I send to the client for review and feedback. This not only gives the client an opportunity to provide input but also allows them to view the creation process as the subject slowly but surely comes to life in front of their eyes. On occasion, the client may change their mind about a particular aspect (such as a collar or tag for example) and as long as the work is not so far advanced and impossible to change, I am able to fulfill the request.

So, I thought that it would be nice to share the step by step process of how this kitty came to life on paper. Unfortunately, I had to work rather quickly because of the Christmas rush and so I did not take as many progress shots as I usually do.

This first image is a high resolution scan of the actual completed artwork. I manually adjust for color, tone and value using Photoshop and then add a watermark for id purposes. I try to match the original as close as possible but there is always some slight variation due to individual monitor settings and light conditions.

"Sylvester"

Pastel

4"x6"

SOLD

The following images were taken under my work lamp using my cell phone. I don't scan the art as I'm working on it as this is mostly unnecessary and takes up valuable work time. On occasion, I might scan the art when it is further advanced; for example, if the client needs to compare eye or coat color to the actual subject so that it is portrayed as accurately as possible.

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Step4

Long haired cat portrait pastel painting commission

I really enjoy drawing or painting fur and this kitty's coat provided hours of enjoyment! This commissioned kept me on my toes...the short fur on the face and muzzle and the long clumps and strands of fluffy wavy fur, some of it going in every which direction, oh, and of course the coat color are what made this project so interesting. 

Another refreshing challenge was having to create a profile pose which is not something clients usually chose since they like to look into their fur-baby's eyes as they gaze back at the viewer. 

The following pose is the third in a series of commissioned portrait by the same client. If you want to view the other portraits of  "Two Face", the tortoiseshell cat, simply jump to the posts here: 

https://petportraitsbycolette.blogspot.ca/2018/02/tortoiseshell-cat-pet-portrait-pastel.html

and

https://petportraitsbycolette.blogspot.ca/2018/02/tortoiseshell-cat-custom-pet-portrait.html

 

"Two Face"

Tortoiseshell cat portrait

pastels

8"x8"

SOLD

Manx short haired tabby cat pet portrait painting

I was asked to create a portrait of this handsome kitty and was so very thrilled when I saw this striking pose. Head held high, eyes full of life, what is not to love about this cat portrait?

Max is a short haired manx (tailess) cat with lovely tabby markings and a white chest. His glowing green eyes are the center of attention and were my favorite part to draw.

I used mostly pastel pencils to create this painting...a touch of NuPastels only for the darkest blacks and whitest whites.

His owner was very pleased at the results of his portrait and I'm hoping Max will like it too. You can follow the progress of my works on a daily basis on my Facebook Animal Artistry page

 

Portrait of "Max" 

5x7

pastel

commission (sold)

Tortie Cat Drawing Time Lapse Demonstration Progression Art Video

If you have a moment, why not turn up the volume and check out my drawing progression/demo video that I put together. I am repeatedly told that people really enjoy watching how my portraits come to life on paper or canvas so rather than post a dozen or so still photos, I've arranged them in this clip, along with captions and relaxing music!

Follow my channel to get notifications of new videos!

This cat's name is Two Face and she is a long haired tortoiseshell cat  that I was commissioned to draw. Click on the image to start watching....

Tortoiseshell Cat Pet Portrait Pastel Painting Commission

When I was contacted to commission this cat's portrait, I was sent several photographs and asked to choose the best ones. I then created two mock ups so the client could decided on a pose. They loved the two poses so much and so decided to get both done! 

This is the second commissioned artwork featuring the gorgeous "Two Face". You can see her full body pose here in a previous post.


For this piece, I used mainly soft pastel pencils along with a bit of NuPastels (mostly the black as it is one of the deepest blacks that I can find in a pastel). I did  a lot of layering and fine detailing but it was well worth the effort in the end as I am very pleased with the results.  I love this pose so much that it will be featured on my next business cards. 

I am told that Two Face has a rebellious side.. like a naughty teenager! She's quite the colorful character, both in physical appearance and in spirit! Here she is:

'Two Face"

Long haired tortoiseshell cat

Pastel

8"x10" 

Sold

Work in Progress of Tortoiseshell Cat Portrait

A LOT of detailing work goes into each of my portraits. I always tell my clients that the better the reference image, the easier it is for me to reproduce a realistic looking portrait of their pet. However, finding good photos is not always possible and so in those instances I can work with several not-so-good photos and along with client feedback, I have always been able to achieve a pleasing and realistic portrait of their pet. 

Keep in mind however that clear, close up shots taken in natural light make the best reference images. For more information on how to choose or take your pet's photo for a portrait, you can read the following useful article I wrote: Tips for Taking Quality Photographs .

Stay tuned to watch the final progression of this cat pastel portrait in my future post.

 Thanks so very much for following!

Soft pastel cat drawing demonstration tip

As I am working on this pet portrait commission using soft pastels, it is quite normal to get an accumulation of loose dust particles. An easy way to rid of the dust is to gently tap the board on the surface of the work table but using a soft bristle brush removes the stubborn particles trapped in the nap of the velour.

Be careful not to go over the drawn in sections with the brush as it can mute the colors and some detail can be lost.

I have created several videos that show the work in progress of some of my cat, dog and horse portraits. You can view these on my YouTube channel

You can also get updates by following my Animal Artistry FB page

Commissioned Cat drawing in progress

I'm really thrilled at the opportunity to draw not only one but two customs portraits of this delightful long haired tortoiseshell cat!
I love to share my works in progress and I always get good feedback from them by followers and subscribers.
In this stage of the pastel portrait, I'm adding the fur on the side of the face and I find it much easier to rotate the panel to achieve nice flowing strokes. I also rotate my reference photo so that it is easier for my brain to better see the direction of the fur as I am working. I prefer to use an iPad as I can easily zoom in and out and move the screen around my work area.
You can see much of my daily postings on my Animal Artistry FB page  and more work on my website www.colettetheriault.com

Tortoiseshell Cat Custom Pet Portrait in pastels

This long haired cat has a beautiful tortoiseshell coat which was very fun to draw. Aptly named "Two-Face", it's easy to see why.
This is one of two portraits I am creating for a client. 

 

"Two Face" 

Long-haired tortoiseshell cat

11x14

pastels

Sold

Animal Artistry of Colette Theriault now available on eBay

After much thought,  I decided to bite the bullet and invest some time into marketing some of my larger artwork on eBay.  I am starting with only a few listings for now because of time constraints but also to get a feel of the system and if it works for me.

Shipping to USA and CANADA. The current listings are as follows:

 White Tailed Deer (doe) Painting in Pastel

22" x 16"

pastel

 Click here to purchase artwork

Tuxedo Cat Portrait, Pencil Drawing

25" x 11"

graphite, charcoal, cp

Click here to purchase artwork

Calico Tabby cat portrait commission: a painting in pastel

I am delighted to be able to share a portrait of this lovely cat! I could not post before because it was to be given as a birthday/Christmas gift to the recipient. I will be adding work in progress shots of this piece when I have more time.

"Bauer"

5"x7"

original pastel painting

Commission

View more of my work at www.colettetheriault.com

Multiple Cat Portrait with Tonkinese in progress

Currently at my easel is a commissioned portrait of 6 very interesting felines.  The cat breeds that I am painting include Siamese, Tonkinese, Burmese, Scottish Fold and a domestic short haired tuxedo. 

Some of the photos I received as reference material are very old and the subject not very well represented but I managed to make out some detail by scanning at very high resolution and blowing up the image on my computer screen. Of course, I also rely on the client to guide me as I paint the subject so that the resemblance is most accurate as possible.  The blue point Siamese cat to the very left will need some touching up before I add the whiskers. I'd like to note that the magenta hue on his coat is the result of my bad photography!

The easiest cat to paint so far is the middle black and white "tuxedo" cat. The reference photos were very good so this made my task much easier.

The cat to the very right (with the unfinished body) is a Tonkinese. It was challenging to reproduce his coat color but with careful layering and blending of several different pastel colors, I believe to have achieved a pretty good likeness. 

Make sure to stay tuned as there's more to come soon!

The painting studio and animal portraits

It must seem like after completing the wolf painting, I have disappeared from the face of the earth but actually, I have been working on several projects at once. So I thought I'd share a few projects that are at various stages of completion in my studio.

First is a very rough sketch of a six cat portrait commission, most of which are Siamese type breeds and one amusing Scottish fold! Two cats in particular will be challenging to paint due to poor quality photos but with the client's feedback and scanning/zooming the photos on my computer to see more detail, I am confident it will all work out in the end.  I did start the cat on the top left which is one that I only have poor quality photos of. I felt I'd better start with the most challenging one and then the rest should be a breeze, right?

Another project I will be working on is that of my friend's beautiful dog, a flat coated retriever named "Galoche".  I will share more of this special commission on my blog at a later date. Below is a mock- up image composed of two photographs combined to create the reference I will use for the dog portrait.

Lastly, I completed a dog pencil drawing commission of which I have not shown any updates yet. Once the owner approves the final version of their portrait, I will post the artwork along with a few work in progress stages. So stay tuned and have a happy day everyone!

Siamese Cat Portrait: A Painting in Pastel

I had so much fun painting this beautiful cat's portrait. It is not a commission but rather, came about from one of my reference images from my photography library. The wondrous lighting, contrast and glowing icy blue eye of the Siamese is what compelled me to paint her.

Now, to find a name for this painting...something I don't usually struggle with but I can't seem to find anything appropriate that I like so far.  Update: "Bejeweled"

Siamese Cat Portrait
"Bejeweled"
pastel painting
4"x6"
SOLD

For more cat portraits, please visit my website at
http://www.colettetheriault.com/catportraits.php

Cat portrait update

I plan on finishing this Persian cat portrait today as there is not much left to do; fill in the rest of that bushy tail and front paws and the side of the chair.

This scan of the pastel painting has been color adjusted to match as close as possible the original. However, the contrast is more difficult to match probably because the pastel dust particles have reflective properties and the intensity can change depending on the direction of the light.

Pet Portrait of the Feline Kind!

It has been a busy season so far as I try to catch up on client commissions. Seems like the time just flies buy and then it's the new year!

I hope you enjoy following the progress of this "princess" cat. Keep watching for more updates!

Cat and Horse portraits win awards

This past weekend, I have had 2 works entered into the Cavalcade of Colors Show at Onaping Falls, Ontario. I was very pleased to learn that my cat drawing, "Contemplation" won Best of Show as well as The People's Choice Award.

Last August, North Bay held their first Art in the Park juried show and my two pieces were accepted. My pastel rendering of a horse eye reflection won 2nd place overall.

 

 

 







Brown Tabby Cat Painting in Pastel

As promised, here is the final portrait of the cat commission. After client approval, it was packed and shipped out today.

Pastel Portrait Progress

Most of the fur has been added in this step. I should have this portrait completed within the next day or so pending there aren't too many distractions....

Pastel painting of cat continued...

In this step  have added the rest of the base color to the body fur and begun adding the tabby pattern. The cat is  sitting on a window sill, which will be added last.